Asthma is a respiratory illness that makes the airways narrow, accompanied by swelling and production of extra mucus. It results in difficulty in breathing, chest constriction, wheezing while exhaling, and coughing.
Homeopathy is absolutely safe and effectively treats asthma. Initially, it significantly reduces the symptoms like breathing difficulty, feeling of tightness in the chest and congestion, wheezing, cough, and pain in the chest. It helps reduce the swelling and narrowing of the airways. As one repeats treatment, the frequency of asthma attacks gradually reduce. Simultaneously, homeopathic medicines focus on addressing the underlying cause such as chronic allergic tendencies and an overactive immune system. Homeopathy optimises the immune system and treats allergic tendencies to cure asthma from its root. In severe acute asthma episodes, one may use inhalers and other recommended conventional medicines. In chronic cases, homeopathy is the best alternative and reduces dependency on corticosteroids and bronchodilators which is thought to be lifelong and primary treatment protocol in conventional medicine.
Safe medicines without side-effects
Homeopathy has an advantage of providing a remedy with no side-effects thus ensuring that asthma can be treated absolutely safely. Homeopathic medicines are safe because they are prepared from natural elements and do not contain any chemicals. No immediate or long-term adverse effects are observed if one is administered homeopathic medicines.
Homeopathy treats the patient, not just the disease
It is a known fact that homeopathy cures the patient and not just the disease. This clearly means the homeopathic medicines are administered as per the characteristic symptoms of the patient that appear at the physical and mental level, and not the disease. In other words, homeopathy treats on a case-to-case basis. Since no two persons are alike and have their own personalities, lifestyle and heredity, therefore the medicines differ on a case-to-case basis. Homeopathic remedies are administered so as to help eradicate asthma from its roots.
Offers cure rather than suppression of symptoms
The chances of suppression of symptoms in homeopathy are zero. We are familiar with the fact that if a condition is suppressed at a given time, then for that time the symptoms remain dormant and may surface later under certain favourable conditions in a more harsh way. Homeopathy completely avoids suppression of the symptoms. It, rather, follows an approach of cure by stimulating the self-healing system in the body using highly diluted natural medicines.
Non-habit forming
Homeopathic medicines are not habit forming and thus there can be no lifelong dependence on them. Once the cure has been found one can stop its use. The overall treatment time for asthma in homeopathy varies on a case to case as per various factors like the intensity of the complaint and chronicity, and how quickly an individual responds to medicine.
Top 11 Homeopathic medicines to treat asthma
The top homeopathic remedies to treat asthma are Arsenic Album, Spongia Tosta, Natrum Sulphuricum, Antimonium Tartaricum, Hepar Sulph, Blatta Orientalis, Ipecac, Lobelia Inflata, Bryonia, Stannum Met and Sambucus.
1. Arsenic Album – Top-Grade Medicine For Asthma
The symptoms indicative of use of Arsenic Album in asthma is shortness of breath that gets worse after coughing. The characteristic to use it is asthma that gets worse around 12 am-1 am. Other symptoms are wheezing and suffocative cough with frothy mucus. Another important guiding feature for using Arsenic Album is asthma which alternates with skin rash or eczema.
When to use Arsenic Album?
It is administered if there is shortness of breath and suffocating attacks that get worse around the wee hours (12 midnight and 1 am).
How to use Arsenic Album?
If the symptoms respond to the remedy, it can be administered in 30C potency, which can be repeated twice a day. If low potency doesn’t show results, it is advisable to consult a homeopath before taking higher potencies like 200C or 1M potency.
2. Spongia Tosta – For Short, Panting Breathing Accompanied By Dry Cough
Spongia Tosta works wonderfully for asthma with short and respiration that is filled with struggle, and panting. Along with difficulty in respiration, whistling from the chest on inhalation is observed. The cough is accompanied by extreme dryness of all the air passages. The cough, in this case, is dry, deep, barking, hacking in nature that doesn’t bring up mucus. In most cases, drinking warm water brings relief from coughing.
When to use Spongia Tosta?
Breathing that is full of struggle, accompanied by dry suffocating cough and acute dryness of all air passages means that this medicine should be administered.
How to use Spongia Tosta?
Begin with a 30C potency and take it one to two times daily. It can also be taken in high (200C) potency. But one should observe the symptoms before ingesting medicines with high potency.
3. Antimonium Tartaricum – For Asthma With Shortness Of Breath And Rattling Cough
Antimonium Tartaricum is a wonderful medicine for asthma if the symptoms include quick, short and difficult breathing as if gasping for air. The suffocation worsens when one lies prone, and there is an urgent need to sit up. The cough has a lot of mucus, there is too much rattling and the lungs give a feeling of mucus fullness. Mucus from the lungs doesn’t come out easily. Sometimes there is dizziness alongside coughing. It gets better by lying on the right side but worse due to damp and cold weather.
When to use Antimonium Tart?
IIt can be administered when shortness of breath, suffocation with loose cough and excessive rattling of mucus is observed.
How to Antimonium Tart?
It can be administered in 30C potency one to two times daily.
4. Natrum Sulphuricum – For Those Suffering From Asthma In Damp Weather
Natrum Sulphuricum is the best medicine for difficulty felt while breathing in damp weather. The cough is ropy, thick, and the phlegm is greenish in colour. Natrum Sulphuricum also works well in humid weather and when the condition worsens in the early morning around 4 am and 5 am. Natrum Sulphuricum is among the top performing medicines for treating asthma among the kids.
When to use Natrum Sulphuricum?
It is helpful in humid conditions (especially if there is difficult in breathing during damp weather). Cough is marked with ropy, thick, and greenish discharge.
How to use Natrum Sulphuricum?
It is mostly used in biochemic form in ‘6X potency’ and is administered in tablet form. The frequency and number of tablets depend on the intensity of the symptoms. It can be taken 3-4 times a day.
5. Blatta Orientalis – For Asthma That Sets Off Due To Dust Exposure
Blatta Orientalis remedy is for asthma that is sparked by dust. Blatta Orientalis is prescribed for shortness of breath, suffocating cough accompanied by difficulty in respiration and yellowish, pus-like formation of mucus. It can be administered for asthma triggered in the rains.
When to use Blatta Orientalis?
It is the most suitable remedy for asthmatic symptoms activated by the exposure to dust. Cough is suffocating and breathing is difficult.
How to use Blatta Orientalis?
Mother tincture is best to start with, which can be administered once or twice daily. However, one may take it in 30C and 200C potency if there isn’t much improvement. Usually, 1M potency is not recommended, unless prescribed by a qualified homeopath.
6. Hepar Sulphur – For Asthma Due To Cold Air
Hepar sulphur acts wonderfully in asthma attacks, difficult respiration, whistling, wheezing, and preventing sleep at night with copious mucus expectoration. Yellow or whitish dirty mucus can also be present. Ailments get worse by cold air or slight draught of air and get better from covering up and heat/warmth.
When to use Hepar Sulphur?
It is prescribed for asthma patients whose symptoms worsen due to exposure to cold and dry air. Cough is whitish or yellowish and the mucus is loose and easy to expel.
How to useHepar Sulphur?
Dosage and potency depend on one’s age, causative factors and symptoms of the patient. In a majority of the cases, it can be administered in 30C potency 3-4 times in a day.
7. Ipecac – When One Struggles To Breathe And Coughing Ends In Vomiting
Ipecac is administered to treat repeated attacks of asthma that is accompanied by difficult breathing and gasping. There is a wheezing cough with mucus that is not easy to expel, though the chest seems to be full as if ready to vomit.
When to use Ipecac?
It is particularly good in cases of asthma where shortness of breath along with wheezing and cough ending in vomiting is marked.
How to use Ipecac?
It mainly works in low potency i.e. 30C. Normally, the repetition of dosage is limited to one to two times daily. Higher potencies are not recommended until a homeopath suggests so.
8. Lobelia Inflata – When Asthma is Trigerred By Exertion
This medicine is best used in cases of worsening of asthma from exertion. One suffers difficulty in breathing with a feeling of constriction in the middle of the chest. Another accompanying factor is a feeling of lump in the throat. When there is chest contraction, there is also an immediate urge to breath deep. A characteristic feature that may be present is a prickling sensation in the entire body before an attack of asthma.
When to use Lobelia Inflata?
It is best administered when asthma gets activated due to exertion.
How to use Lobelia Inflata?
This medicine can be administered in 30C power one or two times daily.
9. Bryonia Alba – For Asthma With Dry, Hacking Cough
Bryonia Alba, prepared from the wild hop plant, is considered the best remedy for asthma characterised by a dry, hacking cough, especially when the cough sets off at night. The main feature pointing towards Bryonia is a peculiar sensation as if the chest would burst or “fly into pieces.” The patient instinctively holds or supports the chest while coughing. The patient often needs to sit upright due to difficulty in breathing, and respiration becomes strained and frequent. Other accompanying signs could include rust-coloured, jelly-like expectoration, and the cough worsens in a warm room or after drinking or eating.
When to use Bryonia Alba?
Bryonia is administered in cases of asthma that is marked by a dry, hacking cough that is also painful. Along with it, there is the sensation of the chest being under too much pressure or about to burst.
How to use Bryonia Alba?
Bryonia is commonly administered in a lower potency such as 30C, taken one to two times a day.
Higher potencies should be administered only after consulting a qualified homeopath.
10. Stannum Metallicum – For Weakness Of Chest Along With Asthma
Stannum Metallicum is suitable for treating asthma cases where even slight singing, laughing or talking can trigger a cough. A distinctive feature to use this remedy is the presence of three consecutive, deep, hollow coughs. It is difficult for the person to speak due to weakness in chest. There is heavy expectoration—resembling the white of an egg—and as the day progresses, it may become green and sweetish. Other accompanying symptoms include hoarseness of voice and short, oppressive breathing.
When to use Stannum Metallicum?
For asthma that is accompanied by a characteristic pattern of cough in three successive bursts
Extreme weakness of chest making it difficult for the individual to laugh, talk or sing
How to use Stannum Metallicum?
It is generally recommended in a 30C potency, taken once or twice daily.
11. Sambucus Nigra – For Asthma With Nasal Congestion
Sambucus Nigra is an important remedy in cases of asthma and sudden suffocative attacks, especially in infants who suffer from severe nasal blockage and sniffles. A key symptom is suffocative cough causing the child to wake up suddenly, with the face turn bluish. Nostrils become dry and get obstructed. There is loose, choking cough with difficulty in exhaling.
When to use Sambucus?
Sambucus is a prominent remedy for asthma, which is accompanied by a prominent suffocating cough, nasal blockage and sniffles. This remedy works wonder in infants and kids struggling with marked nasal congestion along with asthma.
How to use Sambucus?
It is administered in 30C potency, twice or thrice daily.
What Are The Causes Of Asthma?
Allergies: Allergens like animal dander, pollen and dust mites raise the risk of developing asthma
Environmental factors: Exposure to substances like fumes, toxins or any allergen can irritate the airways making the person prone to asthma.
Hygiene hypothesis: According to this notion, babies whose immune systems are not exposed to enough microorganisms during early months and years of their childhood don’t have the capacity to fend off asthma and other allergy disorders.
Previous infections: People with a history of severe viral infections in infancy, such as respiratory syncytial viral infection (RSV), are more prone to suffer it in their adulthood and later.
Genetics: If a person has a family history of asthma or any allergy, the risk of developing asthma is more.
What Are The Symptoms Of Asthma?
The symptoms vary widely from person to person. Some individuals may experience occasional symptoms—called infrequent asthma attacks—while others may face more persistent symptoms. Common signs of asthma include:
— Wheezing (a whistling sound that occurs when the airways become narrow or are blocked)
— Tightness or heaviness in the chest
— Shortness of breath
— Cough
— Additional symptoms may include difficulty in sleeping and speaking, anxiety and chest pain.
— In cough-variant asthma, the only noticeable symptom is persistent dry cough without mucus. There is no shortness of breath or wheezing. This type is particularly seen in children.
How to diagnose Asthma?
A doctor may suspect asthma after checking out the symptoms (like cough, difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath and chest tightness) of the patient, checking the chest with a stethoscope to decipher wheezing and inquiring about history of allergy in the patient or someone in the family.
The most important test recommended to ascertain asthma is spirometry. It is the best test to diagnose asthma — it measures the amount of air that is exhaled, at what speed and also the amount of air inhaled back in the lungs. In this test, the patient is asked to take a deep breath and then breathe out hard into a tube. This tube is attached to a machine named spirometer that gives measurements of this test.
Another test is the peak flow meter test which evaluates how hard a person can breathe out with the use of a simple easy-to-use device. A low reading indicates that lungs are not working well.
An X-ray of the chest is recommended to check for any infection which may be causing breathing difficulties or are triggering it.
Role Of Diet And Lifestyle Changes In Asthma
Adopting appropriate dietary and lifestyle modifications plays an important role in supporting homeopathic treatment for asthma. A balanced diet—rich in fruits, vegetables and omega-3 — may help reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract. It is advisable to avoid dairy products, wheat, nuts and processed foods if they tend to trigger your symptoms. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight and regular, moderate exercise or yoga are beneficial. Most importantly, managing stress through practices like meditation and deep-breathing exercises help significantly in controlling asthma.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can homeopathy reduce dependency on inhalers?
Potentially yes. Dependency on inhalers or bronchodilators may reduce if well-selected homeopathic medicines are used in the appropriate potency under professional guidance only.
2. Is wheezing a diagnostic symptom of asthma?
No. Wheezing (a whistling sound caused by narrowed airways) is not the only indicative symptom of asthma. It is one important sign, usually noticed in patients who complain of shortness of breath, heaviness in the chest and incessant cough.
3. Does vitamin D play any role in asthma?
Yes. Vitamin D helps regulate the overactive immune response that helps in managing symptoms of asthma.
4. How long do homeopathic medicines take to show relief in symptoms?
It depends on how chronic or severe the symptoms are and how each individual responds. Initial improvement may be seen within 12–15 days,
5. How should potency be selected?
Treatment often begins with a lower potency such as 30C, taken one-two times a daily. However, a homeopathic physician is the best person to guide you on potency selection.
6. How can I select the correct medicine?
The medicines mentioned above help in treating asthma, but not every patient requires the same remedy. Homeopathy is based on the person’s holistic symptom picture, so medicines should only be taken under a homeopathic physician’s guidance.
7. What is the role of homeopathy in treating asthma?
Homeopathic medicines work on the root cause, an overactive immune system, which further helps in reducing the intensity and frequency of symptoms.
8. Is asthma contagious?
No. Asthma is not a communicable disease.