Homeopathy - Tests and treatments - Homeopathy: What You Need to Know

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It makes breathing difficult and can make some physical activities difficult or even impossible.

To understand asthma, you need to understand a little bit about what happens when you breathe.

Normally, with every breath you take, air goes through your nose and down into your throat, into your airways, eventually making it to your lungs. There are lots of small air passages in your lungs that help deliver oxygen from the air into your bloodstream.

Asthma symptoms occur when the lining of your airways swell and the muscles around them tighten. Mucus then fills the airways, further reducing the amount of air that can pass through.

These conditions then bring on an asthma “attack,” the coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and tightness in the chest are typical of asthma.

We must note that people with asthma have airways that are more sensitive than normal. They are sensitive to certain conditions or substances that can be inhaled through the air. When they get exposed to such substances or allergens, they start reacting adversely and the mucous membrane of the inner layer of bronchial tube get inflamed and initiate the asthmatic condition.

Causes of asthma

An exact cause of asthma has not been determined. Scientists and researchers think that genetic and environmental causes lead to asthma. These may include:

• One or both parents have asthma.

• A genetic history of allergies in the family.

• Having certain respiratory infections during childhood.

• Contact with allergens or infections during infancy and early childhood, when the immune system is still developing.

Asthma triggers

Certain conditions and environments may also trigger symptoms of asthma. These triggers include:

• Illness: Respiratory illnesses such as the flu and pneumonia can trigger asthma attacks.

• Exercise; Increased movement may make breathing more difficult.

• Irritants in the air: People with asthma may be sensitive to irritants such as chemical fumes, strong odours, and smoke.

• Allergens: Animal dander, dust mites, and pollen are just a few examples of allergens that can trigger symptoms.

• Extreme weather conditions: Conditions such as very high humidity or low temperatures may trigger asthma.

• Emotions: Shouting, laughing, and crying may trigger an attack.

Asthma Symptoms

Symptoms of asthma include:

• Coughing, especially at night, when laughing, or during exercise.

• Wheezing, a squealing or whistling sound made when breathing.

• Tightness in the chest.

• Shortness of breath.

• Fatigue.

• Shallow breathing.

• Feeling of suffocation.

• Restlessness.

• Drowsiness.

• Sneezing.

• Anxiety.

• Perspiration.

• Cold extremities.

• Short inspiration.

• Prolonged expiration.

Homeopathy Treatment for Asthma

Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition.
Homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individualising examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution etc.

In my experience and as far as I know, homeopathy is the only system of medicine which tries to ‘cure’ this disease, instead of trying to provide symptomatic relief. While dealing with a case of asthma, a homeopath not only records the symptoms of the disease but also studies the medical history, family history, physical and psychological characteristics of a person. This helps to find the cause, the precipitating factors, and the hereditary tendency etc.

Now after ascertaining the symptoms and the cause, the homeopath tries to find a medicine which matches the symptoms as well as the general characteristics of the person. The medicine so selected is administered to the patient.

Here are a few homeopathic medicines for the treatment of asthma:

• Aconite – excellent remedy during acute attacks of asthma, which will ease the breathing and cough. Symptoms of dyspnoea are often accompanied by marked anxiety, fear and restlessness.

• Arsenic alb – Asthma with great anxiety and restlessness, often worse around midnight and lying down, better by sitting up and warm drinks.

• Antimonium tart – is a good asthma remedy for children and the elderly especially useful when the asthma has been caused by an infection. The cough will have coarse rattling in the chest on both inspiration and expiration. The patient will be worse lying down and at night generally. They may be irritable and want to be left alone.

• Aralia racemosa: Cough associated with constriction of chest, worse lying down, after the first sleep, has to sit up and cough violently; asthma, with oppression as from a weight on stomach, worse night on lying down.

• Ipecac -Asthma patients who suffer from coughing spasms resulting in vomiting or retching. Cough with violent wheezing; chest feels full of phlegm, but does not come out on coughing; acts well in cases of asthma in children, child becomes stiff with blue face.

• Carbo veg – Severe acute attacks of wheezing with significant belching and flatus. Patient feels very weak and may collapse. Asthma in old patients; great perspiration; patient wants fanning all the time; cough spasmodic with vomiting and gagging all the time.

• Kali carb – this remedy often indicated when the attack comes at night, after midnight, from 2 to 4 AM.
Symptoms worse from 3.AM – 5AM; pain in chest with dry hard cough; scanty , offensive and tenacious cough; wheezing ameliorated in warm weather.

• Belladonna – this remedy works when there are violent spasms of asthmatic breathing attended by constriction of chest. Redness of face during acute bout of cough.

• Justicia adhatoda: Violent cough with tough expectoration and tightness of chest; great fear of suffocation; usually cough associated with vomiting.

• Pothos foetidus: Asthma worse from any inhalation of dust.

• Pulsatilla – Cough with green discharge. The patient must sit up during the crisis and is better for fresh open air. Even fanning may help them feel better. Rich oily food aggravates.

• Sulphur – this remedy acts well when asthma is due to suppression of skin eruptions like eczema. Asthma with difficult respiration; worse mid night and morning; craves open and fresh air.

• Nux Vomica – attacks of asthma in the morning; with fullness of abdomen after eating.

• Natrum sulph – attacks during wet weather or in rainy season. This remedy acts well when the patient gets attacks every change of season. Cough is relieved by holding chest by hands; asthma with bronchitis; humid asthma; attacks in the morning with loose and copious cough.

• Cuprum met – cough with gurgling sound, relieve by drinking cold water; vomiting of cough; attacks of suffocation aggravates 3 AM and during cold weather.

• Lachesis – asthma symptoms worse after sleep; after taking sour things.

• Thuja – asthma in children; face become pale, sickly, and shiny; asthma following vaccination.

• Medorrhinum – it is an intercurrent remedy for asthmatic complaints; when other well selected remedies fail to give relief. Cough with chocking; relieved by lying on the face; respiration difficult; wants fanning; feels cold yet removes clothing; complaints worse by damp, wet draught and thunderstorms.

Bottom line – Homeopathic medicines for asthma are very effective and can cure asthma permanently. Homeopathic medicines are natural medicines and work by moderating our immune system which usually becomes overactive in asthma.

For individualised homeopathic medicine selection and treatment of asthma, the patient should consult a qualified homeopath. A person should take homeopathic treatment for asthma under the supervision of an homeopath. Avoid self medication.