A Natural Approach to Asthma

It seems like more and more children are dealing with asthma these days, and there are a myriad of drugs to choose from to help your child breath easier. There are also expensive air purifiers, natural flooring options to eliminate dust-filled carpet, and other pricey ways to help ease your child’s asthma symptoms. But prescription drugs sometimes come with nasty side effects, and other expensive options just don’t fit every budget. A little prevention can go a long way, so let’s explore other ways to help your asthmatic child breath easier naturally and frugally.

1. Get rid of chemicals and fragrances! Clean means being fragrance-free, not smelling like perfume, pine trees or anything else for that matter. As an asthmatic, I can tell you that artificial scents like those from laundry detergent, heavy duty cleaners, and even perfume and “air fresheners” aggravate my asthma symptoms. Use natural and fragrance-free products as often as possible.

2. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum! We can’t all afford to replace our carpet with allergy friendly wood or bamboo flooring, but most of us own a decent vacuum. Vacuum your child’s bedroom often, and when you change the bed sheets, vacuum the mattress… yes, I said vacuum the mattress. Many mattress covers are made from plastics that off-gas chemicals. Eco-friendly options can be quite pricey, so a good alternative is to vacuum those dust mites right out of the mattress.

3. Use your drier! Tumble dry your child’s curtains and stuffed animals once a month to kill dust mites and keep them asthma-friendly. If your child has outdoor allergies, choose tumble drying or hanging clothes indoors over drying them on an outside clothes line.

4. Boost your child’s immune system! Colds and flu can wreak havoc on the lungs of a person with asthma, so make sure their immune system is ready to take on those germs. Vitamins C and D are very important for fighting viruses.  If your child doesn’t get enough of these vitamins naturally, choose whole food supplements like those offered here. Make sure your vitamin D supplement is D3 rather than D2, as it is considered to be more potent.

5. Exercise! Boosting your child’s lung power safely and over an extended period of time can help them overcome asthma symptoms. When your child is well and symptom-free, make sure they play hard and increase their heart rate! My asthma has improved greatly since beginning and maintaining a regular cardio exercise routine.

6. Try other natural remedies! From eating foods with therapeutic properties (like those full of antioxidants) to all-natural WheezAway, there are more options available that you may not even be aware of. So do some research and explore other options that may help reduce your child’s asthma symptoms.

Babyminding: The Natural, Organic Child Care Resource for Health-minded ParentsCategory: Living Green

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