In fact I had one mother who brought her 4 year old daughter to me because she had been given an inhaler. She had not been seen by a doctor but by a nurse. I examined the child and didn’t find asthma, just a chest infection which I treated. It cleared up in about 4 days.

With children, my approach to asthma is to treat it when there is no attack in progress in the hope that the remedy will stop it altogether! I do this by first working out the cause. This is because parents are generally reluctant to try a child out with a homoeopathic tablet during an attack and immediately go for the inhaler, which they know will work. And frankly, who can blame them! With adults it is different. They can monitor themselves and know if the tablet doesn’t work, at which point to use the inhaler before they try a different remedy.

There are many causes of asthma. Allergies to animals, dust, cigarette smoke and to food are some of them and asthma sufferers should generally refrain from garlic and vinegar, which means no pickles or ketchup. It can often be triggered by dairy products so it is best to refrain from these as well as eggs and chocolate for a couple of weeks to see if there is any improvement. If there is no change the next step is to eliminate wheat products. If none of these elicit an improvement, you can have an allergy test for the remaining foods. With children it is generally easy to spot the offending food because they crave it so badly that if they don’t get it they usually throw tantrums and scream the place down.

Apart from allergies, pollution can also be a factor and a test can be done for this. Both this one and the one for food allergies is available by post.

Should the cause be pollution from exhaust fumes then one must either move or it will be necessary to prepare a preparation that will remove these substances from the body.

We live in socially unstable times. No longer do we have the security of a job for life and with the bust and boom economy, we may not even be able to hold on to our house for life, assuming we own one in the first place and if we don’t we end up in rented accommodation where our landlords can move us on every 6 months. Because children pick up on their parents, all their fears, worries and insecurities will be picked up on by their children, and, according to the child’s inherent temperament, may come out as asthma. This applies if there is grief in the family or the child was born whilst the parents were in grief.

In children, losing friends or relatives through death or moving home and school, if the temperament is such, than asthma can be the outcome.

When treating asthma, one looks at the cause and the natural characteristics of the child or adult, as well as the attack itself. Asthma can be treated symptomatically but this may not render a permanent cure. To do this, one looks at the symptoms which are unusual. For example, most remedies deal with shortness of breath and a feeling of constriction or weight on the chest, so it is the peculiarities that need to be looked at as well as the modalities, i.e., what makes the condition better or worse.

Here are a few homoeopathic suggestions:

Lobelia Infl. where the person feels that their heart will stop and an attack is preceded by a prickling sensation all over the body. Vertigo, vomiting, cold knees and gastric disturbance.

Verat.v. where there is twitching, cold sweat on face and a beating of pulses all over the body. Gastric disturbance.

Dros. Where talking causes constriction of the throat on every word and coughing ends in retching.

Moschus where there is tightness of the chest and the person is obliged to take deep breaths. There is intense anxiety and fear and a smothering sensation.

Hydrocy.ac. where there is constriction of the larynx, cyanosis, jaws clenched, frothing at the mouth and convulsions.

Cupr.met. Spasms all over body, hot sweats and giddiness. Vomiting, jerking and twitching.

Acon. Anxious, restless and fearful, child grasps throat with each cough. Hot feelings in lungs. Tingling sensation after cough. Worse at night and after midnight.

Also for asthma that is brought on due to exposure to cold, dry weather.

Kali.n. Where there is a burning heat in the chest and the breath cannot be held long enough to drink.

Ars. Asthma, where the patient is unable to lie down, for fear of suffocation, with burning sensation in chest, worse at midnight. Feeling of despondency thinks he will die. Palpitation and wheezing. Cyanosis. Damp cold weather aggravates.

Bryonia. Difficult quick respiration, frequent desire to take a long breath, feels must expand lungs. Must sit up when coughing. Stitching pains in chest. Children do not like to be carried. All mucous membranes dry, excessive thirst, bitter taste, feeling of a stone in the stomach. Presses head on chest, holds head when coughing. Desire for great quantities of water. Worse every movement, entering warm room, open air eating or drinking, better rest.

Grindelia. Smothering sensation after falling asleep, wakes with a start and gasps for breath, cannot breathe lying down. Must sit up to breathe. Asthma with profuse tenacious expectoration. Cheyne-Stokes. Sugar in the urine. Suitable for people with asthma and diabetes.

These last 3 remedies are specifically for asthma brought on by inhaling dust.

Ipec. Hoarseness. Gastric disturbance. Constant constriction in chest which is full of phlegm that cannot be brought up. Bubbling/rattling rales. Child becomes stiff and blue in the face. Yearly attacks of short, difficult breathing.

Pothus. Difficult respiration with anguish and sweating. Sneezing with pain in throat and chest, tongue feels numb. Asthma better after bowel movement.

Kali.c. Cutting pain in chest, worse lying on right side. Leaning forward relieves chest symptoms. Coldness and sensitivity of chest. Cough with stitching pains.

There is also, Phosphorous., Ipec., Thuja, Spongia Tosta, Hep. Sulph.Cal., and Nat. Sulph to name a few, the profiles of which can easily be found on the internet if you wish to research it yourself and find the one that suits you best. Herbally, for less severe cases, Valerian or Passion Flower.

Blatt Orientalis is often suggested for emergency cases.

An asthma kit is also available from www. Biogetica.com.

Homoeopathic remedies can be bought direct from Galen Homoeopathics, 01305 263996 and Herbal Medicine from Baldwin’s, 020 7703 5550. Both give advice.

Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me on (01686) 668076.

DISCLAIMER – This information is general and given in good faith and the writer cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor for the effect of the remedies or the outcome of such remedies howsoever caused. If in any doubt as to your ability to administer these remedies, please consult a qualified homoeopath or a homoeopathic pharmacy.

REMEMBER - YOU CAN DISCUSS YOUR PROBLEMS WITH ME FREE FOR 15 MINUTES BY PHONE.

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