IMPORTANT
Unless otherwise stated on the package, most supplements and herbal remedies aren’t suitable for children under 12.
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Asthma

This increasingly common respiratory condition can respond well to natural remedies and complementary therapies, but they should never be seen as alternatives to conventional treatment recommended by your GP. Always remember that asthma is a serious illness and can be life-threatening. Parents of asthmatic children should make sure that the child, his or her teachers, guide/scout leaders, babysitters, brothers and sisters and best friends realise how serious the condition is and know exactly when and how to administer their medication and when to call for emergency help.

Oral thrush is a common side-effect of using steroid inhalers – and patients are seldom warned about this. After each use, rinse the mouth with water and spit out. Before bed, make a mug of sage tea with 2 tspns of fresh chopped leaf (one of dried) to 200 ml of boiling water, cover, stand for 10 minutes, strain and use as a mouthwash when cool. It’s equally important to buy a new toothbrush at least every three months to prevent this infection.

Other herbal remedies can also complement orthodox treatment. The following herbs can be useful:

Chamomileflowers used as a steam inhalant – 1 tbspn in a basin of boiling water
Elecampane – steep 2 tspns of root in cold water overnight, bring to the boil, strain and sweeten with honey
Ephedra and Lobelia are also effective, but must only be used under the direction of a professional herbalist. Chinese herbal medicine can be extremely effective and safe in the hands of a qualified practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. But steer clear of some high street Chinese herbal medicine shops which promise cures for asthma; they’re often run by unqualified people and use herbs which are contaminated or deliberately adulterated with steroids and some remedies contain dangerously high levels of ephedra

The Homoeopathic remedies Arsenicum album, Ipecacuanha and Natrum sulphricum could also help.

Vitamins B6, 12 and C and Magnesium.

Frankincense and Chamomile are useful aromatherapy oils added to the bath or mixed with a carrier oil and massaged into the chest or around the nose. They can also be put into a vaporiser and left in the child’s bedroom at night, but to avoid the risk of fire or accidents – particularly with young children - use an electric model. They’re available at most good pharmacies and health food shops these days as well as electrical stores.

The most important role which natural medicine can play for this condition, however, is in prevention.

It goes almost without saying that asthmatic teenagers should be encouraged, lectured – bribed even – not to start smoking. Parents of asthmatic children not only need to lead by example – but they must be very strict about not allowing smoking in the home
Any furry pets – dogs, cats, cage birds, hamsters etc. – must be banned too
Bedroom hygiene is extremely important. Turn down the heating. Use a high-powered vacuum cleaner with an ultra-fine medical filter on the mattress, bed clothes, curtains and all flat surfaces at least once a day. Spray all bedding and surfaces with water every day, then wipe dry. These measures remove the dustmite droppings which exacerbate asthma
If possible, remove all curtains, drapes, carpets and replace with blinds or shutters, hard wood or plastic tile flooring and use anti dust-mite bedding and anti dust-mite sprays.
Wash all bed linen at a high temperature – again to remove dustmite droppings.
Put pillows and soft toys inside a plastic bag and then into the freezer for 8 hours once a month

Dietary changes are also important and the following measures will help:

Keep a diet diary to see if there are any foods which seem to trigger an attack Often, but not always, dairy foods are the culprits. If you find that they are, you need to see a naturopath. Cutting out dairy food must only be done under expert advice; you need to find ways of replacing calories (for children) and calcium (for teenage girls, particularly)
Try to buy food without colouring, flavourings and preservatives
Encourage them to eat more of the anti-oxidant foods – fruit, vegetables, salads, grapes, melons, tomatoes, peppers, kiwi fruit and wholegrain cereals

Osteopathy, acupressure – and the Alexander Technique and yoga for older children - can bring relief. If there’s a paediatric osteopath or a practitioner with a special interest in children in your area, he or she would be more suitable to treat the under-12s and babies.

Regular exercise is absolutely essential – as long as the child is taking their conventional medication – because it gives the lungs a good work-out. Swimming is great, but not in indoor pools if chlorine aggravates asthma. And singing or playing wind instruments encourages asthmatics to take control of their breathing.

But it can’t be stressed strongly enough that, although these natural remedies can improve asthma quite dramatically, they should NEVER be seen as a replacement for conventional medication. Although many parents are alarmed, some to the point of paranoia, about giving their children any form of steroids, you need to remember that inhaled steroids are, to all intents and purposes, free of side-effects, and even oral steroid medication produces negligible side-effects with short-term use.

As with all forms of medicine, there’s a balance between risk and benefit. The risk here is negligible and the benefit unrivalled and very simple - you may save your child’s life. So ignore any practitioner who tells you to stop giving steroids to your asthmatic child. You should never consult that person again.

Aspirin-Induced Asthma Because ordinary asthma can be triggered by aspirin and related drugs and some children only get attacks when they take these drugs, it’s essential not to use them as home remedies. If your child has asthma or is known to be aspirin sensitive, you must remember to tell any doctor who isn’t your regular GP about the condition before they prescribe for the child.

Many proprietary remedies contain aspirin and all of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are related to aspirin, so they must be avoided - this includes anti-inflammatory gels as the aspirin-like substances can be absorbed through the skin. These gels are available over-the counter and often suggested for muscle injuries. If you’re unsure whether they’re suitable for asthmatics, check with the pharmacist.

There are many natural-anti-inflammatories which can be safely used for children with asthma. The best are:

Devil’s claw pills – for over-12s only
Devil’s claw gel for all age groups
Ginger tea – for over-12s only
Cod liver oil – over-6s only
Arnica pills, tincture or cream – for all ages

Lavender oil used for massage or in the bath is suitable for all ages.

This information is licensed for use by Wellbeing Information Systems Ltd ("WIS"), and protected by international copyright law. All rights are reserved. (email info@wisinfo.co.uk).
The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.