It is the most common chronic disease in childhood, affecting an estimated 7 million children.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways characterized by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing. It isn`t clear why some people get asthma and others don`t. It is probably due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Asthma signs and symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness or pain
• Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
• An audible whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling
• Bouts of coughing or wheezing that are worsened by a respiratory virus such as a cold or the flu

Asthma types:

Understanding the type of asthma you have can help you seek the most effective treatment when you have an asthma attack.
There are a number of approaches to classifying asthma. One of the ways to classify types of asthma is to look at the underlying cause:

• allergic asthma - asthma symptoms following repeated exposure to allergens such as dust mites, cockroaches, mold, animal dander, second hand smoke.
• cough variant asthma - you have this type of asthma when cough is the sole symptom
• occupational asthma - it results from exposures in the workplace.
• exercise induced asthma - narrowing of the airways and asthma symptoms that develop during or following exercise.
• medication induced asthma - bouts of severe or worsening asthma because of medication you take for another health condition
• nocturnal asthma - chest tightness, shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing at night

Asthma diagnosis:

Asthma is usually diagnosed based on the presence of wheezing and confirmed with breathing tests.

Asthma control

Things that set off or worsen your asthma are called triggers. Identifying and avoiding triggers is an important part of asthma treatment and can lead to significant improvement in your asthma.

Some of the most important triggers:

• Second hand smoke
• Dust mites
• Outdoor air pollution
• Cockroach allergen
• Pets
• Mold
• Wood smoke
• Viral infections
• Stress

Your asthma treatment will be based on how frequently you experience symptoms.

Homeopathic treatment for asthma

Homeopathy aims to stimulate the body’s self-healing response using very small doses of substances that cause symptoms. A wide variety of homeopathic medicines are used to treat asthma. They are safe, effective, with no side effects and cost-effective.

Before you get a homeopathic treatment you will be asked a number of detailed questions not only about your asthma but also about your personal and family medical history. Your case is always very different from that of another person with asthma. Your treatment will be individualized to fit your specific case. There are two general types of homeopathic medication that can give you long-term control or quick relief of symptoms.

Homeopathic treatment can be taken along with your conventional drugs in the beginning. The doses of the long-term allopathic drugs should be decreased gradually when only the asthma is under control. In most cases in mild and moderate asthma conventional drugs can be stopped in 3-6 months after the onset of the homeopathic treatment.

Some of the most commonly prescribed homeopathic medicines in asthma are listed below:

• Arsenicum album - nighttime asthma attacks (between 1-3am); Patient is deeply worried by the shortness of breath and wheezing; agitated and anxious patient. Medical history of skin allergies (eczema, urticaria).

• Kalium carbonicum - nighttime asthma attacks(between 2-4am); shortness of breath is relieved when bent forward with elbows on the knees; tired patient.

• Blatta - allergy asthma; dust mites are the main trigger of asthma attacks; severe dyspnea with copious expectoration.

• Ipeca - suffocating spasmodic cough with nausea and vomiting; clean tongue; widely used in the treatment of childhood asthma

• Antimonium tartaricum - severe asthma attack - breathlessness, productive cough with very difficult expectoration; pale or bluish exhausted patient.