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Asthma treatment: Do complementary and alternative approaches work?
Many people try complementary and alternative asthma treatments ranging from herbs to yoga. Discover which home remedies for asthma are most likely to work.
By Mayo Clinic staffComplementary and alternative asthma treatment ranges from breathing exercises to herbal remedies. There's limited information about asthma alternative therapy. Researchers are still investigating whether most of these types of asthma treatment really work and are safe. But many people try these types of asthma treatment and claim they help. Here's what the evidence says about complementary and alternative asthma treatment.
Asthma alternative therapies that may work
There's some evidence these complementary and alternative asthma treatments may help:
Breathing exercises
Doing breathing exercises may reduce symptoms and may decrease the amount of medication you need to control your asthma. Examples of breathing exercises that may help include:
- The Buteyko breathing technique, which teaches you to habitually breathe less. The theory is that this reduces asthma symptoms by keeping you from getting too much air (hyperventilation). This method also gives advice about stress reduction, medication use, nutrition and general health.
- The Papworth method, which involves deep belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing), nose breathing and other breathing techniques.
- Yoga breathing (pranayama), which teaches you to take deep, slow and steady breaths. Yoga classes increase fitness and reduce stress, which may help with asthma as well.
Diet
What you eat can have an effect on asthma symptoms. While a multivitamin or supplement pill may help you get nutrients, the best source of nutrition is a varied diet rich in whole foods.
Foods and nutrients that may help reduce asthma symptoms include:
- Fruits and vegetables. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables may increase lung function and reduce asthma symptoms. These foods are rich in protective nutrients (antioxidants) that boost the immune system.
- Omega-3 fatty acids. Found in fish, flaxseed and other foods, these healthy oils may reduce the inflammation that leads to asthma symptoms. They also appear to have a number of other health benefits.
Foods that may worsen asthma symptoms include:
- Foods high in saturated fat. These fats, which are solid at room temperature, are found in foods such as red meats and butter. They may cause an immune system response that worsens asthma symptoms.
- Salty food. High sodium levels may worsen the immune system response that causes asthma symptoms.
- Foods that have caused a reaction in the past. Any foods that have caused an allergic reaction or digestive problems in the past may be more likely to cause asthma symptoms.
- Food additives and preservatives. Artificial sweeteners, food preservatives and food colorings may cause reactions in some people. Examples include aspartame, sulfites, benzoates and yellow dye #5.
- Milk products. In some people, milk and other dairy products increase mucus production and worsen asthma symptoms. You may want to eliminate milk products for a trial period to see if it helps. If you do cut milk products out of your diet, make sure you're getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D from other sources. Some people who are bothered by milk find that cheese and other cultured milk products are OK.
Exercise
Stay physically active if you have asthma. Regular aerobic exercise strengthens your lungs so that they don't have to work so hard and has other health benefits that may reduce asthma symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you haven't exercised for a while, and start out slowly with gentle activity. Keep in mind that exercising in cold weather may trigger asthma symptoms. If you do exercise in cold temperatures, wear a face mask to warm the air you breathe.
Herbal remedies
Herbal remedies and dietary supplements have been used for thousands of years to treat lung disorders, and are still considered a primary asthma treatment in many countries. Some have shown promise in research, but more studies are still needed to find out for certain what works and what's safe. Herbs that have shown at least some promise in treating asthma symptoms include:
- Butterbur
- Dried ivy
- Ginkgo extract
- Tylophora indica
- French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol )
- Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata)
- Choline
Blends of different types of herbs are commonly used in traditional Chinese, Indian and Japanese medicine. There's some evidence that certain combinations of herbs are more effective than taking one herb on its own.
Use caution with herbal remedies and always discuss the use of any new herb or dietary supplement with your doctor. Consider these concerns before taking any herbal remedy:
- Quality. While some sources or brands may be more reputable than others, in the United States herbal medications have not had to meet the same standards for safety and effectiveness as over-the-counter or prescription medications. However, a new law requires dietary supplements sold in the U.S. to meet more exacting standards for purity and quality by 2010.
- Side effects. Side effects caused by herbal supplements can range from minor to severe, and depend on the herb and the dose you take. Be especially cautious of herbal asthma remedies that contain ephedra or ephedra-like substances, which may cause high blood pressure and have been linked to heart attack and stroke. Examples include ma-huang (banned in the United States) and bitter orange.
- Drug interactions. Certain herbal remedies can interact with other medications. Talk to your doctor before taking an herbal remedy to make sure it won't cause any problems.
These concerns don't necessarily mean trying an herbal treatment's a bad idea — you just need to be careful. Talk to your doctor before taking an herbal remedy to make sure it's safe for you.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Garrod R, et al. Role of physiotherapy in the management of chronic lung diseases: An overview of systematic reviews. Respiratory Medicine. 2007;101:2429.
- Mickleborough TD. A nutrition approach to managing exercise-induced asthma. Exercise and Sport Science Reviews. 2008;36:135.
- Mark JD. Integrative medicine and asthma. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2007;54:1007.
- Romieu I, et al. Diet and obstructive lung diseases. Epidemiologic Reviews. 2001;23:268.
- Denny S, et al. Dietary factors in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. 2003;3:130.
- Mark JD. Asthma. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/157208746-8/0/1494/79.html?tocnode=54112987&fromURL=79.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..X5001-7--section5_1500. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
- Bauer BA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minn. Sept. 10, 2009.
- Bukutu C, et al. Asthma: A review of complementary and alternative therapies. Pediatrics in Review. 2008;29:e44.
- Singh BB, et al. Herbal treatments of asthma: A systematic review. Journal of Asthma. 2007;44:685.
- Mainardi T, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine: Herbs, phytochemicals and vitamins and their immunologic effects. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2009;123:28.
- British guideline on the management of asthma. British Thoracic Society Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/sign101.pdf. Accessed Aug. 31, 2009.
