Asthma therapy and a variety of treatments that can be tried

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease caused by inflammation and narrowing of the airways (bronchi). This disease cannot be cured, either with certain therapies or drugs. However, undergoing asthma medication therapy can help reduce the frequency of asthma recurrences and control the severity of symptoms when you have a recurrence. What therapies can be used as a way to treat symptoms of asthma?

Asthma treatment options recommended by doctors

Even though it can't be cured, you can still treat asthma symptoms that recur with medication. Quoted from the Cleveland Clinic, you can also do alternative complementary medicine besides drugs, such as asthma therapy.

There are many types of therapy for the treatment of asthma. So, you should first consult a doctor to find out which one is the best for you.

With consultation, the doctor can find out what type of asthma is and the severity of the asthma that is being experienced. From there, the doctor can determine which drug is right for you, as well as what kind of therapy is effective. The reason is, not everyone is suitable for one particular therapy.

Here are some ways to treat asthma along with alternative therapies that are commonly used:

1. Drug therapy

Most people with asthma will be advised to undergo treatment with asthma medications, either in the short or long term. The length of treatment will be adjusted according to the severity of your asthma.

Reporting from the Mayo Clinic page, the types of asthma treatment are divided into three, namely long-term, short-term treatment, and allergy treatment.

Long-term asthma treatment aims to control the severity of asthma symptoms, and prevent ongoing relapses and complications of asthma. Long-term therapy usually involves the use of inhaled drugs (asthma inhalers or nebulizers).

Meanwhile, therapy Short-term treatment is more immediate relieves asthma attacks I the moment of the incident. This medicine can also be used as a first aid option for sudden asthma attacks.

Allergy treatment is specifically aimed at dealing with allergies that cause asthma. So, this drug is usually only given if the body reacts with a certain trigger (allergen).

In some cases, antibiotics can also be used for the treatment of asthma. However, the use of antibiotics for asthma must consider what causes the asthma. Always use any medication as directed by your doctor.

2. Respiratory therapy

Respiratory therapy is a way to treat asthma without medication that is often recommended by doctors.

Practicing breathing techniques every day accustoms you to breathing more effectively the right way. Gradually, routine breathing therapy can help improve lung function to accommodate and absorb oxygen, and help prevent asthma from recurring.

On the other hand, practicing deep breathing techniques can also help you better cope with the stress that triggers asthma. Stress is prone to trigger asthma symptoms prone to recur suddenly or make the attacks feel worse at the time of the incident.

Well, this one treatment for asthma can help you regulate your breath when you are squeezed so that your brain and lungs still get an adequate supply of oxygen.

The easiest way to use breathing techniques as an asthma treatment is as follows:

• Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down. Try to clear your mind. Afterward, put one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach.
• Inhale slowly through your nose at a count of 5 slow. Let the chest and lower abdomen continue to expand until you feel your hands rising as well. This means that your diaphragm is moving downward to make room for your lungs to fill up with oxygenated air.
• Hold your breath as long as you can, then slowly exhale through your nose in 5 slow counts. During this time, you should feel your hands slowly dropping as well.
• Repeat for a few minutes until the breath becomes more regular.

If you want to be more certain, your doctor can refer you to a respiratory therapist to teach you specific breathing techniques that can be one way of treating the symptoms of asthma that appear.

That way when you are in a stressful situation that can trigger asthma to recur, you will instinctively use this technique to catch your breath.

3. Natural or herbal medicine therapy

Apart from using prescription drugs from doctors, it is said that the symptoms of asthma can also be treated by consuming natural or herbal medicines for asthma.

This choice will certainly make it easier for you because you can get most of the ingredients for these natural asthma remedies at home.

One of the natural ways to treat asthma symptoms is consuming garlic. A study from the journalFood and Chemical Toxicologyindicates that the garlic extract has anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, this kitchen spice is believed to be able to overcome various chronic inflammatory diseases, one of which is asthma.

Of course, there are many more choices of natural remedies that can be used to cure asthma symptoms. However, it is important for you to remember that herbal medicine cannot be used as the main treatment for asthma. You should still use prescription medicines from your doctor.

In addition, the effects of some herbal medicines for asthma still require further research, especially regarding their safety.

4. Yoga therapy

Yoga is a type of exercise that requires you to set a pattern of inhales and exhales to follow each body movement. Therefore, exercise can be used as a way to treat asthma symptoms.

Yoga breathing techniques will gradually increase lung capacity. That way, you can inhale a larger volume of oxygen on shallow breaths.

Yoga also indirectly teaches how to breathe better and more efficiently. Not only that, yoga can also reduce stress symptoms that can trigger asthma.

A study from Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciencesstates that yoga has the potential to reduce acute asthma attacks. This study was conducted on 24 asthma sufferers for 4 weeks with a duration of 50 minutes per day.

The results of the study revealed that this exercise was effective in reducing recurrence of asthma attacks in the morning and at night. In addition, yoga is also believed to reduce the use of other asthma medications, such as salbutamol.

5. Swimming therapy

For some people whose asthma is triggered by exercise (exercise-induced asthma), physical activity is too heavy to cause attacks.

When exercising, we often unconsciously breathe through the mouth, not the nose. This way of breathing makes you even more short of breath because the air that enters your lungs is dry air. Dry air will irritate the airways, which can lead to asthma symptoms.

On the other hand, choosing the right exercise can be one of the right ways to treat asthma symptoms in the long term. Swimming is one of the sports most doctors recommend for asthma sufferers.

Several studies have shown that swimming is more effective in treating asthma than drugs alone. Another benefit of swimming for asthma is that it helps moisturize the airways so they don't get dry and irritated.

In addition, a flat posture while swimming can relax the muscles of the airways so that later you can breathe more easily. The reason is, swimming does not require you to support too much weight as when standing upright.

Asthma treatment therapy can also help asthma sufferers to stay active. In fact, lack of exercise can make the physical condition of people with asthma more susceptible to disease and asthma attacks.

6. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine where super thin needles are inserted into specific points on the body. Numerous studies have shown that acupuncture therapy can help relieve symptoms of various medical conditions, including asthma.

This asthma therapy is believed to improve lung function, control symptoms, and reduce the risk of side effects from using asthma drugs.

This has also been supported by a study published in the journal Medicine last year 2017. In this study it was found that acupuncture was effective in helping reduce asthma symptoms in children.

Consult your doctor about what medication therapy is most suitable as a way to treat your asthma symptoms.