More and more children are suffering from asthma these days. This disease now affects one in four children and many adults. The airways constrict during an asthma attack.  The mucosal lining becomes inflamed causing chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

Attacks can be set off by different factors including stress, exercise, perfume, animal dander, pollution, and cigarette smoke. There are no symptoms between attacks although there are some asthma sufferers who tend to develop chronic breathing difficulties during intervals of an asthma attack.

In the event of an attack, metered dose inhalers (MDIs) are usually carried by sufferers to address their breathing problems. These MDIs are made up of different bronchodilatory drugs to quickly open the airways preventing a full blown attack and to enable normal breathing.

In extreme cases, drugs are regularly taken for prevention – the most common asthma drugs used are inhaled corticosteroids. However, when taken for a long period of time, these medications can cause a variety of side effects including oral thrush, hoarse voice, osteoporosis, and weight gain among others. This is not a cure but merely a long term drug – the symptoms will typically return if drug use is halted.

Chinese Medicine Treatment for Asthma

The Chinese medicine strategy offers a natural treatment for asthma to address the root cause of the problem, including the symptoms. Treatment is utilized to strengthen the system as a whole as well as the Lungs. From time to time, based solely on what your symptoms are the kidneys and the other organs are involved.

Asthma treatment for acupuncture (or tui na massage/acupressure) helps fortify the Lungs and reduces andwheezing. It can also help clear phlegm, reduce stress and improve immunity.

Nutritional evaluation can also be used to identify any food problem that could contribute to the problem. Small modifications in diet usually lead to the treatment of stuffiness and abundant phlegm in the throat.

Lastly, breathing exercises through qi gong can help reinforce the treatment by boosting lung capacity and espousing more control over one’s own breath. These exercises can even be more beneficial by taking control over your breath. Practicing qi gong on a regular basis can help regulate your breathing, help strengthen the body, and reduce stress.

Childhood asthma usually responds to these treatments extremely well, especially when it is caused by frequent or long term antibiotic use, which is a common cause of asthma in people.