How to Help Your Child with Asthma (Naturally)

Watching your child suffer with asthma while all of their friends run around freely, can make any parent feel helpless. While your doctor prescribes medication to help with the symptoms you may be wondering, “What else can I do?” Here are a few other helpful and natural ideas you may want to consider:

Bring in the Buteyko Breathing Technique

The Buteyko breathing technique uses shallow breathing that raises blood levels of carbon dioxide. It’s believed that carbon dioxide can help can dilate the muscles of the airways, making it easier to breathe. Some studies have shown that this technique can help reduce the need for a bronchodilator.

The video below from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta shows how to properly implement this technique.

Probiotic Air Purifiers:

As you can imagine, cleaner air is better for asthmatics, but you have to balance that with the use of harsh chemicals which can trigger symptoms. That’s where probiotic air purifiers come in. BetterAir’s Biotica800 uses all-natural probiotics to help remove pet dander, dust and mold spores, therefor relieving asthmatic symptoms. Simply plug in the machine, and let it do the work. An added bonus, this air purifier also cleans surfaces (the probiotics settle on surfaces and correct imbalances) unlike other options.

Essential Oils:

Another natural remedy for childhood asthma is using essential oils. Some oils are believed to have anti-inflammatory properties that can provide relief to asthmatic symptoms. These oils include eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, tree tea oil, roman chamomile, and more.

While essential oils can aid in the relief of asthmatic symptoms, be very cautious of how you use and apply these oils with children. Too much oil can be dangerous. For eucalyptus and peppermint, consider the advice of the following chart:

If you have any doubts on how to properly use essential oils for asthmatic relief, there are aromatherapy professionals that can help!

Weigh the Benefits of Weight Loss:

If your child has put on extra weight, it turns out that can impact their asthma. In fact, there is an increasing parallel to the relation of obesity and asthma. Many doctors have found that asthmatic symptoms can improve when a patient maintains an optimal weight. With asthmatics, however, this can be a delicate balance as exercise can often cause a flare up. If you think your child could benefit from losing a little weight, think about it more as developing healthy eating and work with your doctor to create a comprehensive plan that works well for your child.

Stay In The Know!