Just one year ago, I found myself in a similar position. Here I was at home (again!) with a bad bout of asthma and concerned for the security of my job as this was my eighth day off with asthma that year. That found me searching the internet for a natural cure for asthma, researching the causes of asthma, how they relate to allergies (which I had as a child) and looking to see what medications and treatments were available. Fed up with taking increasing doses of blue and brown inhalers, that seemed to leave me dependent on medication I read around to see if anyone had found a successful method of controlling their asthma without medication.

If you've had asthma, you'll probably relate to the awful feeling when yet another attack comes on and your life is thrown into disarray. You may find that the doctors don't have time to discuss alternative treatments, but simply prescribe the usual inhalers at each visit, check your breathing and lung capacity and sign you off until the next visit.

What I found was both interesting and disturbing. The evidence was that much of our asthma today is induced by our modern world. The most concerning thing was that there is no incentive for the drug companies or the doctors to find a natural cure, as they're all making a considerable profit from the conventional inhalers.

By searching for "natural asthma cure" I found stories of people who had found alternative methods of managing their asthma and who had been able to cut down their medications (under the advice of their doctor, of course). These are stories that don't hit the headlines, but for the individuals involved are life changing.

I decided to give these "new" ideas a try - I had nothing to lose and everything to gain - my job was on the line. The simple regimes involved took less than five minutes per day and within less than a week I could feel the benefits. I've managed to cut down but not cut out my asthma medication and feel far fitter and healthier. The best news of all, I can take a long walk with my son without having to take the inhaler with me.

If you're considering an alternative treatment for your asthma, do some research on the internet, check with your doctor or medical practitioner, and be prepared to try more than one idea. Do make sure that you keep your inhaler with you at all times during this trial period. Do try it for more than a day or two, your body may take time to adjust. What works for one person may not work for you, we're all different.