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on 05/12/2022 Asthma is a lung condition that makes it difficult to breathe.
You’ll know how stressful it can be if you’ve had an asthma attack yourself. Alternatively, you may have felt distressed watching someone else deal with uncontrolled asthma symptoms.
The Australian Asthma Handbook helps asthma patients develop a fast-acting asthma action plan. Yet, seeking treatment to support asthma management in the long term is important too.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the small bronchial tubes inside the lungs.
While most people find breathing easy and effortless, people with asthma have sensitivity in their lungs. This is why they experience difficulty breathing during an asthma attack.
These attacks occur when triggers create inflammation, narrowing and increased mucous production inside the airways. This results in shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing (classic asthma symptoms).
During an asthma flare, patients need to use their asthma inhaler for quick relief. This is the best way to prevent an asthma attack becoming an asthma emergency that requires medical attention.
According to the National Asthma Council Australia, the most common asthma triggers include:
- Colds, flu and other respiratory infections
- Cigarette smoke
- Allergy-related triggers, e.g., dust mites, mould, pollen
- Exercise
- Aspirin
- Stress and high emotions, e.g. crying.
Understanding Ayurveda for Asthma
Ayurveda is an Indian medical system that began thousands of years ago. It takes a holistic approach to healing and is based on the 3 doshas (energy types) – Vata, Pitta, Kapha. When the 3 doshas are balanced, a person feels healthy and happy. However, if dosha harmony is breached, health problems occur.
In Ayurvedic medicine, one of the most common causes of asthma is poor digestion, which impairs Vata. Here’s why…
An unhappy digestive system can’t properly digest foods, which leads to a build up of toxins in the gut. As these toxins increase, the body has no choice but to circulate them around the body, including to the lungs, in an effort to remove them. When these toxins reach the lungs, they injure the airway’s lining and make it difficult to breathe.
Vata is responsible for communication and movement in the body. It facilitates the flow of breath, elimination of waste, movement of the diaphragm and more. Therefore, when poor digestion (toxins) weakens Vata’s ability to circulate energy and air, triggers, such as pollen and dust, can cause asthma symptoms.
Ayurvedic Treatment for Asthma
In modern medicine, health professionals use asthma medications, such as inhaler devices and corticosteroids, to control symptoms. Unfortunately, many of these drugs have side effects that can make you feel yuk, e.g. sore mouth and throat, susceptibility to fungal infections, headaches and more.
This is what makes Ayurveda for asthma so popular.
When you choose an Ayurvedic remedy for asthma, you’re opting to take a natural, drug-free approach to healing. One that nurtures your body, mind, spirit, and aims to treat energetic imbalances that lead to disease.
Here’s what an Ayurvedic treatment plan for asthma could look like. Its aim is to improve digestion and harmonise Vata:
- Avoid situations and items that trigger asthma symptoms
- Eat special warming foods that harmonise the Kapha/Vata balance
- Complete a purification program (panchakarma) under the instruction of an Ayurvedic Practitioner. This helps cleanse the body of toxins and wastes, fortify digestion and support the respiratory system.
- Use Ayurvedic herbs to improve digestion, lung health and dosha harmony.
Ayurvedic Herbal Remedies for Asthma
Ayurvedic herbs promote health and help balance the doshas.
Here are 3 trusted Ayurvedic herbal remedies used to treat asthma:
Turmeric: The active constituent in turmeric is curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that support lung and digestive health. Studies suggest it’s highly beneficial for asthmatics and useful for improving forced expiratory volume, i.e. the amount of air you can exhale during a forced breath.
Ginkgo: Helps reduce the inflammatory chemicals that play a role in asthma and allergies. It also has a bronchodilator effect to reduce the severity of wheezing caused by exercise, dust and pollen.
Ashwaganda: This prized Ayurvedic herb has rejuvenating properties that assist Vata and Kapha imbalances. It also has potent anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties, and helps relax the muscles in the airways.
Healing Your Asthma With Ayurveda
If you’re ready to try Ayurveda for your asthma, Avaana can help!
Avaana is a wellbeing marketplace where you can search, compare and book on-the-go with trusted practitioners in your area. To see which Ayurvedic experts are available to help you with your asthma, click the button below:
