Asthma is a very common respiratory disease, it affects the trachea and bronchial tubes by becoming inflamed and plugged with mucus. This causes the airways to narrow, restricting the amount of air going to the lungs, and makes it very difficult to breathe. Asthma can occur in anyone but is very common in children and young adults. Typical symptoms of an asthma attack are coughing, wheezing, tight chest, difficulty breathing.

Home Remedies

Mix few leaves of holy basil with honey and consume them every morning. It is an effective remedy to keep asthmatic attacks away.

Honey is considered beneficial in the treatment of asthma. It is said that if a jug of honey is held under the nose of an asthma patient and he inhales the air that comes into contact with the honey, he starts breathing easier and deeper. The effect lasts for about an hour or so. This is because honey contains a mixture of 'higher' alcohols and ethereal oils and the vapours given off by them are soothing and beneficial to the asthma patients. Honey usually brings relief whether the air flowing over it is inhaled or whether it is eaten or taken either in milk or water. It thins out accumulated mucus and helps its elimination from the respiratory passages. It also tones up the pulmonary parenchyma and thereby prevents the production of mucus in future.

Figs (Anjeer) dry: Dry figs help clear mucus from bronchial tubes and are therefore a valuable food remedy for asthma. Phlegmatic cases of cough and asthma can be treated with success. It gives comfort to the patient by draining off the phlegm. Three or four dry figs should be cleaned thoroughly with warm water and soaked overnight. They should be taken during morning time in an empty stomach, along with the water in which they are soaked. This treatment may be continued for about two months.

Make a glass of juice by adding 2/3 glass of carrot juice and 1/3 glass of spinach juice. Take it thrice a day for asthma relief.

Make a mixture of 1/4 cup of onion juice, 1 teaspoon honey and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. It gives immediate relief from congestion and alleviate breathlessness.

Linseed (Alsi): A decoction made from linseed is considered useful in curing congestion in asthma and to prevent recurrence of attacks. Simultaneously; linseed poultice should be applied externally at the lung bases for reducing internal congestion.

Other home remedies for asthma that focus on prevention include teaching the asthma sufferer breathing exercises, which can help stop an attack in its tracks. Generally, the harder you breathe when you feel an attack coming on, the more the airway constricts. You can learn such exercises from organizations like the American Lung Association or through doctors who specialize in treating asthma, like pulmonologists.

Another thing that helps reduce asthma attacks is exercise, but you should start slowly. A daily regiment of exercise, like walking for half and hour to an hour a day can help reduce attacks and is a great prevention strategy. If you are unused to exercise, start by taking short walks at a measured pace, perhaps no longer than ten minutes at most. As the weeks go by, add a little time each week to your daily walking routine. Asthma sufferers mistakenly think they can't exercise, but research proves that exercise may be one of the most helpful ways to prevent frequent attacks.