The Natural Health Column
Asthma
alternatives
In the summer issue we discussed eczema and now we turn to a closely related subject - asthma. Not everyone with eczema gets asthma and vice versa, but there is an established relationship between the two conditions. The incidence of asthma appears to be greatly increasing.
The chief reasons for this can be grouped into environmental conditions and the reclassification of bronchitis and asthma. The dangers of increased air pollution are well-known, but many other factors can also create allergic responses in individuals: the treatments and chemicals in carpets, furniture, paints, household cleaning products, bedding and many more everyday items together with a reduction in clear air flow through homes due to heating and lack of ventilation.
When I was young we were sent out to the garden to play, literally come hail, rain or shine. Today we take a softer approach and combined with our overuse of antibiotics, antibacterial cleaners and overprocessed foods, we are creating the environment in which oversensitive immune systems increasingly develop.
The second reason mentioned above is the reclassification of asthma and bronchitis. I was talking to a doctor recently regarding a patient with a case of bronchitis. The doctor told me that there was no bronchitis any more, it was now all classified as varying forms of asthma. This results in more and more people taking asthma medication for bad coughs or bronchitis, which in turn may affect the natural ability of the lungs to develop or recover naturally from illness.
Doctors will usually offer three alternatives in the case these mild doses of asthma (or bronchitis): antibiotics, decongestants and inhalers.
My advice would be to discuss with your doctor whether each of these is really necessary and whether they are likely to yield any real benefit. These medications all carry side effects which you can avoid - and the condition may clear up on its own with proper rest and steam inhalations. Some homeopathic remedies can be particularly useful in cases of acute bronchitis or mild asthma. Aconite is very good in the early stages of any illness and particularly for barking coughs that come on suddenly.
Phosphorous is a leading remedy for dry or hollow coughs, often worse at night, waking the person. The cough also comes on when moving from a warm room to cold air outside and vice versa.
Bryonia is a great remedy for dry coughs with pain in the lungs, particularly if the cough is worse after any movement.
Arsenicum is useful for an exhausting cough that wakes the person around 1-2am, especially worriers or fussy people. It is also very good for mild asthma where the person is highly anxious and needs to be propped up. Ant-tart is a remedy used for a wheezing, rattling, asthmatic cough.
Finally, Pulsatilla is useful for many people with coughs that are dry at night and with lots of sticky mucus in the morning. Denise Sweeney is a registered Homeopath.You can email any queries to denisesweeney@eircom.net A full list of registered Homeopaths is available through the Irish Society of Homeopaths, phone 091-565040 or see www.ishom.com.
