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Home Remedies for Asthma Causes and Symptoms

Asthma is a respiratory condition in which the airways narrow, resulting in wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and tightness of the chest. Asthma also results in excess mucus production in the lungs which causes further airway restriction. The National Institutes of Health notes that 22 million people in the United States have asthma; of those, 6 million are children. Asthma is a treatable, though incurable, disease. It can be fatal if left untreated.

  1. Causes

    • The exact cause is unknown, but if asthma or a tendency to develop allergies runs in your family, you are at an increased risk of developing asthma. Asthma can also be caused by exposure to environmental pollutants, by childhood respiratory infections or by airborne allergens.

    Humidifier

    • Humidifiers in dry climates, or in the winter in northern climates, can help ease asthma symptoms. Be certain that the humidifier is cleaned regularly and doesn't produce too much moisture ,which may create an environment for mold to form. Mold will exacerbate asthma symptoms.

    Pseudoephedrine

    • Antihistamines such as Sudafed can contain pseudoephedrine which is a mild bronchodilator and therefore is useful in treating asthma absent the availability of a prescription medication. Decongestants can help control the mucus production and help to expel it from the lungs, thereby enlarging the airway and increasing the airflow.

    Caffeine

    • The University of Montana, in a review of 39 caffeine studies, found that even low doses of caffeine were effective in significantly improving lung function for up to two hours.

    Miscellaneous

    • Asthma can be triggered by allergens or by exercise. If your asthma is triggered by allergens, preventative measures include keeping your house dust free, avoiding pets that shed and eliminating cockroaches as their decaying bodies can trigger attacks. Mold can be another trigger as can smoke of any kind.

      Minimizing attacks if your asthma is triggered by exercise is more difficult, if the person with asthma likes sports that involve running. Usually these patients are given an inhaler to use prior to exercise. If an inhaler is unavailable, drinking caffeine prior to exercise could help since it opens the airways, but the patient must be taught to recognize the symptoms of an impending attack and stop exercising if the symptoms appear. Cold weather can also trigger attacks. Scarves that cover the mouth and nose will prevent these attacks because the scarf causes the air the patent is breathing to be humidified instead of being cold and dry.

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