There are no safe and effective home remedies for asthma that are recommended by the traditional medical community. There are a number of home remedies for asthma that are recommended anecdotally, but these are generally not worth trying if you are in the grip of an asthma attack. Without fail, most doctors will tell you that the best way to reduce asthma and to handle an attack is through prevention of some asthma triggers, and by making sure you have your fast-acting inhaler with you at all times. If you don’t have one with you and you begin to suffer an asthma attack, you should call 911 or emergency services for immediate medical help.
Just about the only other step doctors can recommend as one of the potentially workable home remedies for asthma is to drink a cup of strong coffee, without milk. You can add some honey, which from an anecdotal standpoint may be somewhat soothing. The coffee should be caffeinated. Most fast acting asthma meds rely on helping to dilate the bronchial system, by using medications similar to amphetamines. In fact you may note that typical inhaler meds leave you shaky, and if you’ve ever needed to use injected epinephrine, you’ll note a very “speedy” feeling from the medication.
Caffeine helps in the same manner to dilate blood vessels and may help reduce severity of an oncoming attack. If you’re without an inhaler, having a strong cup of coffee may be the best of the home remedies for asthma, even for children. You should still follow up with immediate medical care.
Instead of advocating home remedies for asthma, most doctors advocate prevention strategies for the condition. First off, certain foods may act as triggers. If you have known food allergies, you should avoid these foods, since they may also make asthma worse and cause more attacks.
The home environment should be kept as free of dust and dust mites as possible. This means you should probably not have pets. Furthermore, eliminating as much carpeting from the home as possible, dusting frequently, and vacuuming beds and furniture may help reduce presence of dust mites. Stuffed animals, though cute, should be avoided, since they can easily harbor tons of mites. Some people find help by using air purifiers which help to reduce dust and potential allergens in the air. Clearly you should also avoid smoking, and if you have a child with asthma you should never smoke in your home.
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.