ASTHMA AND HOMEOPATHY

FACTS

· The first and foremost thing is that ASTHMA is curable under CONSTITUTIONAL HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT.

Asthma is an allergic disorder and commonly known aggravating factors include dust, smoke, strong smell, pollens, feather, certain foods (egg, fish), drugs etc. Emotional factors and infections have significant role in precipitating or aggravating asthma.

Seasonal aggravations are common.

Common symptoms range from mild respiratory distress to frank breathlessness with wheezing, associated cough, anxiety. Attacks are preceded by cold cough generally. There may be

cough (with or without mucus/ phlegm), especially during night, shortness of breath- as it is or while exercising, laughing etc.

wheezing or whistling sound while normal breathing or coughing

pain or tightness in chest

bouts of sneezing attacks

presence or history of itching, eczema or urticaria

5. Spirometry and Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) are good tests to evaluate the severity of attacks. Blood tests may show high eosinophil counts.

Homeopathic Approach

Asthma is basically due to abnormal reactivity of the individual to certain materials and chemicals – that is why it is said allergic. Homeopathic treatment targets the individual as a whole, so that his self healing power increases gradually and thereby his abnormal reactivity reduces. As a result his tolerance to the precipitating factors increases and the attacks of breathlessness etc start becoming less intense, less frequent and of shorter duration.

Most of the patients comes to a homeopath with additional load of being dependent on allopathic medicines like salbutamol, steroids etc. In these cases, homeopathic treatment can be started side by side. And as the improvements are significant, gradual reduction in allopathic dosage is recommended.

Don’t expect asthma to vanish in air by few days of medication. It requires long term treatment.

It is better to compare the severity, intensity and duration of attacks in the consecutive season, if the problem is seasonal. Moreover attacks are relatively more in October to December and March to May.

Spirometry and PEFR are good to evaluate improvements while on homeopathic treatment.

Pranayama, Yoga and steam inhalation are good accessory measures.