Natural Asthma Treatments for Children

Asthma makes it difficult for air to move through the bronchial tubes into the lungs, making it hard to breathe. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, but if left untreated, it can drastically limit a child's physical activity, and in some cases, might pose a life-threatening situation. In addition to medications prescribed by a child's pediatrician, there are many other steps parents can take to help control a child's asthma attacks. Treatment includes education about the causes, triggers, symptoms and numerous preventive measures.

Types

• Children's asthma symptoms fall into different categories. Some attacks are mild and last only briefly. In cases of mild intermittent asthma, a child might experience symptoms only once or twice each week. Other children might suffer symptoms more often, but not necessarily every day. This is known as mild persistent asthma. But children who suffer moderate persistent asthma experience symptoms every day and need to take daily medication. For those children, symptoms are continuous and might sometimes require hospitalization.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of childhood asthma can include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest and sometimes a scratchy throat. Some children might experience sweating during an asthma attack in addition to an increased heart rate and perhaps a whistling sound in the chest when they breathe. Swelling that narrows the airways to the lungs often tightens the surrounding muscles, causing pain. Many children with asthma tend to get congested from excess mucus obstructing the airway.

Natural Treatments

• Evaluating your child's daily diet is one of the first steps toward managing her asthma symptoms. Food allergies are common triggers of asthma attacks, with many children being allergic to milk, eggs and other dairy products. Processed foods and fresh fruits and vegetables, which have been sprayed with pesticides, can cause problems as well. Try to eliminate as many processed foods from your child's diet as possible and shop organic. Green, leafy vegetables, along with brightly colored fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, contribute to neutralizing free radicals, thereby helping to reduce asthma attacks. Encourage your child to drink at least one glassful of water every couple of hours. This is important to keep your child's airways moist so they do not constrict. Dehydration causes the release of increased levels of histamine into the bloodstream, which triggers the allergic response. Have your home drinking water tested for chemical content because too much chlorine can dry out the lungs. Purchasing a home water filtration system is a wise investment if your child has asthma.

Diet

• Doctors advise against giving your child milk, cheese or other dairy products. While these foods can stimulate the production of excess mucus in the lungs, many children with asthma have an allergy to milk protein. Researchers at the John Hopkins School of Medicine say at least 50 percent of all school-age children might have an allergy to cow's milk. Wheat can be another trigger that causes an allergic reaction. Parents should also avoid feeding children foods containing polyunsaturated fats. Instead, include fish in the diet known to have omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show the oils found in salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines have anti-inflammatory properties effective in reducing asthma symptoms. Cooking foods with extra virgin olive oil is another healthier option. Some studies suggest magnesium-rich foods might help to relax the bronchial airway.

Prevention/Solution

• Limit your child's exposure to environments where he is likely to come into contact with respiratory irritants such as smoke, chemical cleaners, heavy perfumes, pet dander, dust and molds. Keep your home well-ventilated and as free from dust as possible. Installing an air-filtration system might help to alleviate your child's asthma symptoms. Take your child to get a flu shot each year as the viruses that cause colds and flu can make asthma symptoms worse. In addition, teach your child proper hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs. Remove any pools of stagnant water near your home, particularly in areas where your child plays. These provide a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria that can exacerbate an asthma attack.

Additional Triggers

• Identifying your child's asthma triggers and taking the necessary steps to avoid them are the most practical things you can do to decrease the frequency and intensity of his asthma attacks. Aside from some of the obvious triggers such as tree pollens and airborne molds, seasonal temperature changes should be taken seriously. Extreme changes in the outdoor temperature, especially when the weather turns cold, can make a child's asthma worse. Allergens such as ragweed in the autumn or the climate on hot, windy days can trigger attacks as well. Smoke, whether from cigarettes or a wood-burning stove or fireplace, is not healthy for the lungs either. The fumes from cooking certain foods bother some children with asthma and can bring on an attack. Food preservatives and additives, including artificial food flavorings and colorings, are good reasons to be careful whenever eating out. Emotional stress, aerosol sprays, rigorous exercise, a recent bout with a cold or other viral infection, or even laughing or crying too hard are can trigger a child's asthma attack.