While there are many medications and instruments that help manage asthma attacks, people need something which can lower the attack intensity or stop them from happening. Almost 7 million children in America suffer from Asthma, making it preferable for parents to use natural treatments like essential oils rather than medicinal options.
Despite the quick advancement in medicinal research, the realm has yet to find a cure for Asthma. However when this lung disease attacks a patient and causes inflammation in the lungs, making it difficult to breath, all they need is some kind of therapeutic relief. And at moments like these, having essential oil at home can prove to be highly beneficial.
Essential Oils for Soothing Asthma
- Lavender is anti-inflammatory in its characteristics and also works as a sedative. Inhaling this oil directly or through steam helps in clearing the airways.
- Tea Tree oil also helps with inflammation and help the body fight the allergic response to an asthmatic allergy. Like other essential oils, this too helps with treating the side effects of allergy shots and medicines.
- Peppermint is yet another essential oil that provides respite to the Asthma patients. When allergens trigger the release of histamine in the body, the patients suffer a severe attack. Peppermint has characteristics that avoid the release of histamine and protect the patients from sufferings of the attack. Methanol present in peppermint oil also helps with blocked nose.
- Eucalyptus oil has a very strong aroma which helps with unclogging the airways and making it easier for the patient to breathe. When the Eucalyptus oil is mixed with hot steaming water and the vapor is breathed in, it breaks down the phlegm and mucous.
How to Use
Essential oils can be used in three ways to treat the symptoms of asthma and help with soothing the attacks. These essentially oils can either be mixed together or diffused in the air to make it free of allergens. These oils can also be applied with a carrier oil on skin but not before testing it on a small area first. And thirdly it can be inhaled by mixing it with steaming water.
Despite being helpful to a large number of Asthma patients, some people have an adverse reaction to the strong aroma of the oil and, which triggers the symptoms of asthma. Be sure to test it out with a small quantity and keep your child’s usual medication on hand, just in case.