According to research, more than 26 million Americans have asthma. However, many patients and people living with such patients are unaware of full information related to this inflammatory condition.

Here are symptoms, causes, and home remedies for asthma:

Symptoms of Asthma

Asthma can be a very tricky disease. You may face all these signs and discover you lack this inflammatory condition or you could miss all of them and find out that you suffer from the condition. For instance, wheezing, a symptom of the inflammatory condition, is also a symptom of congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism, cystic fibrosis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you suspect you are suffering from this condition, it is best to visit a doctor for your symptoms to be checked.

1. Wheezing

This is the most common symptom of this inflammatory condition, and it’s the most common reason parents and patients look for care when worried about it. During breathing out or exhaling, a high-pitched whistle is typically heard. But wheezing may also take place when breathing in or inhaling and normally signals poor control of the condition.

However, wheezing has to be distinguished from stridor, which refers to lower airflow as a result of obstruction outside your lungs. During wheezing, inflammation leads to narrowing of the airways inside the lungs causing lessened air flow through the lung. You should note that wheezing can take place with some other conditions.

2. Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath refers to the inability to catch breath or breathlessness that you may undergo when you are suffering from the inflammatory condition. This can be a symptom of poor control of the infection or can be experienced prior to diagnosis.

This is very normal, and it is expected when you go to high altitude areas or undergo extreme exercises. Moreover, the average level of exercising by an obese patient may also result in breathlessness with little exertion.
This breathlessness may be called dyspnea by your doctor while others may call it “air hunger” or the feeling of being unable to catch your breath. Different people may experience the symptom differently. Hence, they may describe or name it differently.

Some patients may be unable to undertake as many activities as they used to undertake in the past. Also, the symptom could appear abruptly in some patients and more slowly in others.

3. Coughing

Coughing is a primary complaint patients give when visiting a doctor, particularly during flu or cold season. It can also be a symptom of a grave condition such as lung cancer if a patient faces a risk of getting it. It can be a sign of a simple virus or even bacterial infection.

Additionally, coughing is a part of the defense mechanism of the body. A chronic cough can signify poor control of the infection. If a physician is concerned about this inflammatory condition, there is a high likelihood that they will ask whether you cough while exercising or at night. If you are suffering from the disease and you cough each night for over two times a week, this may mean that you need to increase your medications.

4. Chest Tightness

Chest tightness could take place alone or together with all the other symptoms. Patients describe the symptom as an uncomfortable feeling of air resisting movement in their lungs. For a majority of the patients, this leads to a lot of anxiety due to the thought of difficulty in breathing.

Causes of Asthma

Causes of this condition are unknown. However, what is known are the causes of the symptoms of the disease. Here are various triggers:

Indoor Triggers

Most people in the US spend about 90 percent of their lifetime indoors. Consequently, indoor allergens can play a vital role in making this inflammatory condition worse. Knowing the indoor allergens impacting the infection could result in crucial improvements by either avoiding them or creating a plan to handle them. Indoor triggers include:

1. Nitrogen Dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide is a gas that originates from a gas stove, gas space heater, or fireplace and can lead to lung irritation and breathlessness.

2. Pets

Allergens from the saliva, urine, dead skin, fur, and droppings of your pet can trigger this inflammatory condition. The ideal way to avoid pets from making the infection worse is to keep them away from your home. If you can’t live without them, have an area free from pets like the bedroom, and clean the house regularly, particularly stuffed animals and toys, upholstered furniture, and rugs.

3. Pests like Cockroaches

Droppings, urine, and body parts of pests like cockroaches have certain proteins that can trigger asthma symptoms. It is vital to eradicate places that pests hide and keep exposed areas such as countertops free from water and food.

4. Mold

Molds can grow on any moist surface. They typically grow on damp or wet surfaces in places such as basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. If your home is plagued by molds, reducing moisture could lead to better control of the disease.

5. Dust Mites

These are small insects that are present in every home but cannot be visible to the naked eye. They feed on skin’s tiny flakes found on carpets, stuffed toys, upholstered furniture, and beddings. Dust mites can trigger symptoms of this inflammatory condition in people with and without the infection.

6. Secondhand Smoke

This smoke is also called the environmental tobacco smoke, and it’s a combination of smoke irritants breathed out by smokers of cigars, pipes, or cigarettes as well as tobacco itself. This smoke consists of over 250 various chemicals that cause cancer like arsenic, vinyl chloride, and benzene that may cause irritation of your airways and lead to asthma symptoms.

Outdoor Triggers

1. Pollens

Pollens are tiny, powdery granules, which are vital to fertilization of plants. The amount of pollen that goes airborne is affected by weather. Pollen season adjusts with your geographical location. But generally, it takes place between February and October. Pollens from various kinds of trees, grasses, and plants may cause symptoms of asthma.

2. Molds

There is a lot of mold outdoors that can get into the air. However, unlike pollen, they are all year round and not restricted to a certain season. Many outdoor molds are present in outdoor vegetation and soil.

3. Weather

Weather is a common trigger for asthma symptoms. On days that are windy, dry, and hot, there will be higher counts of pollen that cause asthma symptoms. Rain could also cause an increase in molds that could make asthma symptoms worse. Also, cloudy days with minimal wind may lead to fewer symptoms of asthma. Since you can’t avoid allergens caused by weather, it is best to carry your treatment at all times.

Home Remedies

1. Mustard Oil

A mixture of camphor and mustard oil is a great treatment for this condition. Massage the mixture on your chest until you feel relief from the respiratory illness. Warming the oil prior to massaging will ensure that you feel a warmth that offers quick relief.

2. Figs

Figs are some of the best remedies for the condition. Soak dried figs in water for a whole day. Consume the figs and the water in the morning.

3. Coffee

Caffeine in coffee aids in the treatment of the respiratory illness. It allows easy breath through clearing the nasal passage. You can also substitute coffee with black tea. However, drink a maximum of three cups in a day.

4. Evening Primrose Oil

The oil has a fatty acid that can offer a positive anti-inflammatory impact. It is a traditional treatment for this respiratory illness in some cultures.

5. Butyeko Breathing Exercise

The objective of the technique is to reduce the breathing volume or the breathing rate. It involves upright sitting with relaxed belly muscles and chest while breathing. Concentrate, close your eyes and gaze up. Breathe slow and shallow via your nose with your mouth closed. Then breathe out slowly until there is zero air in the lungs. Hold your breath for the longest time possible and repeat the exercise.

6. Eucalyptus Oil

One handy measure to control asthma is to use eucalyptus oil. Put a few drops in a bowl of hot water and inhale the steam. This aids in the opening of any blockage in the nasal passage to facilitate breathing.

7. Ginger

Considering the numerous benefits for your body and health, it is not surprising that ginger is deemed a superfood. It is very effective in combating this respiratory illness. Make a mixture of equal amounts of pomegranate, honey, and ginger. Take it three times a day.

8. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial in the management of this inflammatory condition. It is also crucial in conditions like seasonal affective disorder, heart disease, and depression.

9. Belly Breathing Technique

This technique aids to maximize the distribution of air in your lungs. You can sit up or lie down as you focus on your breathing. It is preferred that you breathe slowly via the nose. During breathing in, your abdomen has to go out and not your chest. Then breathe out slowly as your abdomen pushes inward. Breathing out should take two times longer than inhalation.

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10. Pursed Lip Breathing Technique

This technique is essential when you are experiencing this inflammatory condition. Because air is trapped inside the lungs during an attack, this technique gets air out, making breathing simpler. It involves breathing in slowly via the nose and breathing out via pursed lips.

Conclusion

This condition can be fatal if appropriate treatment is not sought out in advance. Common treatments include an inhaler that can assist with your breathing whenever you have an asthma attack. However, continuous intake of these natural treatments will ensure you are healthy and asthma-free.