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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffThere's some evidence that certain alternative treatments may help with asthma symptoms. However, keep in mind that these treatments are not a replacement for medical treatment — especially if you have severe asthma. Talk to your doctor before taking any herbs or supplements, as some may interact with medications you take. While some alternative remedies are used for asthma, in most cases more research is needed to see how well they work and to measure the extent of possible side effects. Alternative asthma treatments include:
- Breathing techniques. Examples include the Buteyko breathing technique, the Papworth method, and yoga breathing (pranayama). These exercises may reduce the amount of medication you need to keep your asthma symptoms under control. Yoga classes increase fitness and reduce stress, which may help with asthma as well.
- Acupuncture. This technique involves placing very thin needles at strategic points on your body. It's safe and generally painless.
- Relaxation techniques. Techniques such as meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis and progressive muscle relaxation may help with asthma by reducing tension and stress.
- Herbal remedies. A few herbal remedies that have shown some promise in treating asthma symptoms include butterbur, dried ivy and ginkgo extract. Blends of different types of herbs are commonly used in traditional Chinese, Indian and Japanese medicine. However, more studies are needed to determine how well herbal remedies and preparations work for asthma.
- Omega-3 fatty acids. Found in fish, flaxseed and other foods, these healthy oils may reduce the inflammation that leads to asthma symptoms. They also appear to have a number of other health benefits.
- Homeopathy. Homeopathy aims to stimulate the body's self-healing response using very small doses of substances that cause symptoms. In the case of asthma, homeopathic remedies are made from substances that generally trigger an asthmatic reaction, such as pollen or weeds. There's still not enough clear evidence to determine if homeopathy helps treat asthma caused by allergies.
References
- Balkissoon R. Asthma overview. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:41.
- Famta CH, et al. Diagnosis of asthma in adolescents and adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Expert panel report 3 (EPR-3): Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Bethesda, Md.: National Institutes of Health. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/pdf. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Liu AH, et al. Childhood asthma. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/198605211-3/0/1608/440.html?tocnode=54478148&fromURL=440.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50145-6_3411. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Litonjua AA, et al. Risk factors for asthma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Tang EA, et al. Risk factors for asthma. In: Adkinson N, et al. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05659-5..00042-5--cesec18&uniq=196323107&isbn=978-0-323-05659-5&sid=986291445#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05659-5..00042-5--cesec18%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-323-05659-5. Accessed April 20, 2010.
- Famta CH, et al. An overview of asthma management. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Bailey W. Patient information: Trigger avoidance in asthma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Updated information on leukotriene inhibitors: Montelukast (marketed as Singulair), zafirlukast (marketed as Accolate), and zileuton (marketed as Zyflo and Zyflo CR). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/ucm165489.htm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- FDA drug safety communication: New safety requirements for long-acting inhaled asthma medications called long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm200776.htm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- FDA approves new device for adults with severe and persistent asthma. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm209909.htm. Accessed April 28, 1010.
- Bronchial thermoplasty. Asthmatx. http://www.btforasthma.com/bronchial-thermoplasty/. Accessed April 28, 2010.
- Mark JD. Integrative medicine and asthma. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2007;54:1007.
- Garrod R, et al. Role of physiotherapy in the management of chronic lung diseases: An overview of systematic reviews. Respiratory Medicine. 2007;101:2429.
- Bukutu C, et al. Asthma: A review of complementary and alternative therapies. Pediatrics in Review. 2008;29:e44.
- Singh BB, et al. Herbal treatments of asthma: A systematic review. Journal of Asthma. 2007;44:685.
- Romieu I, et al. Diet and obstructive lung diseases. Epidemiologic Reviews. 2001;23:268.
- Mark JD. Asthma. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/157208746-8/0/1494/79.html?tocnode=54112987&fromURL=79.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..X5001-7--section5_1500. Accessed April 21, 2010.
- Mainardi T, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine: Herbs, phytochemicals and vitamins and their immunologic effects. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2009;123:28.
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