Asthma is a serious, chronic respiratory condition which is marked by increased inflammation in the air passageways that makes breathing more difficult during a flare-up or attack. It can affect people of all ages and is, in fact, the number one reason in the United States for pediatric visits to the emergency room. There are many conventional drugs on the market to treat this condition, but most come with unwanted side effects and are not always very effective for treating flare-ups.
There are however, many herbs that have been found over the years to be effective for natural, day-to-day asthma treatment. Six of the best herbs for treating this condition are discussed below.
Hawthorne
One of the major causes for asthma attacks or flare-ups is emotional stress. Hawthorne helps to treat this underlying cause for exacerbations by calming the body naturally and decreasing stress, so that the emotional trigger is taken away. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which is great since asthma is considered to be a chronic inflammatory condition. (1)
Schizandra
This member of the Magnolia family has long been used to treat a variety of ailments but can be useful for asthma as it seems to help patients breathe more easily and deeply and helps ward off asthma flare-ups. (2)
Elecampane
This herb has warming, expectorant properties, which makes it useful in asthma treatment since excess phlegm and mucus can be a problem for asthmatics, especially during an attack. Elecampane can help to loosen these secretions and make it easier for airways to be cleared. (3)
Eastern Skunk Cabbage
While the name is not very attractive, this plant nonetheless is also excellent for asthmatics due to the fact that it is an anti-spasmodic, which can calm down the airways during an attack, as well as an expectorant, which can help keep those airways clear. (4)
Black Cohosh
Mostly thought of as a “woman’s herb” to treat hormonal imbalances, black cohosh also has anti-spasmodic properties which can make it useful for asthmatics to stop the violent coughing that so frequently accompanies an attack. (5)
Lobelia
Lobelia is great even for emergency situations as it can also instantly open the airways up and help clear out excess phlegm or mucus to help the asthmatic sufferer breathe more easily; this is due to its combination of anti-spasmodic and expectorant properties. (6)
So for patients seeking more natural treatments for their asthmatic condition, herbs like these offer the opportunity to keep treat both the underlying causes and the most common signs and symptoms of asthma. These medicines will help keep the inflammation at bay and the airways cleared so that people can literally “breathe easy” and effectively manage day-to-day symptoms associated with this disease.
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