How to cure Asthma

Before we get into what are the symptoms of asthma and what treatment one should take to cure asthma, it is important to understand as to what exactly is asthma and how it is caused. 

The trachea (windpipe) after it enters the lungs divides into bronchi and bronchioles, which are essentially ducts for inflow and outflow of air. The bronchi and bronchioles are encircled by a smooth muscle. When this muscle becomes rigid and contracts, it exerts pressure on the bronchi and the bronchioles and narrows them down, leading to less air coming into the lungs. It is this that leads to wheezing and difficulty in breathing. 

There is another major cause of asthma. When these windpipes get blocked by phlegm, their ability to carry air in and out of the lungs reduces. This then leads to breathing problems and is called asthma. 

Thus, asthma could be caused due to any of the following reasons:

1. A bout of cold

2. Anything that causes a build up of toxins - eating highly processed food, overeating, hypertension, anger, etc.

3. Other causes - dust, pollen, certain flowers and trees, hair of animals, etc.

Before we go any further, please be assured that unlike general perception, asthma can be very easily and very quickly cured using methods and practices that rely on nature. One of my patients who had been on drugs for asthma for more than 20 years was cured within 6 months.  

General cure - some very important things to take care of

As mentioned above, asthma is caused by the contraction of the bronchi and the bronchioles and the deposition of phlegm in these windpipes. Therefore, a few things that all asthma patients must take care of:

1. Avoid taking anything cold. This could lead to further build up of cough. Besides, cold things lead to contraction. Thus, this could further narrow down the windpipes and intensify difficulty in breathing.

2. Avoid all foods that cause cough - all things made of maida (wheat flour), besan (gram flour), sugar, milk and milk products, processed foods, cold drinks, etc.

3. Avoid anything that causes a build up of toxins - anger, hypertension, negativity and ill feelings towards others, a dusty environment, processed foods, etc.   

All prescriptions for cure of asthma are based on the 3 general prescriptions mentioned above. More specifically, this is what you need to do to cure asthma:

1. Live in fresh air. It is best to avoid fans and coolers. However, do note that an air conditioner should be strictly avoided. 

2. Spend as much time in sunlight as possible, as sunlight helps the body get rid of cough. 

3. Keep a very positive frame of mind. Anger, hypertension and negativity lead to a build up of toxic waste which intensifies asthma.

4. Issues related to drinking water

   1. First of all, water should not be colder than body temperature. Even better, an asthma patient should always drink lukewarm water. Cold water would cause contraction of the windpipes which is not good for asthma patients.

   2. Because of the above, water kept in the fridge or a matka (earthen pot) should be avoided.

   3. Drink water very slowly. Keep it in your mouth and roll it for some time so that it mixes with saliva. Human saliva is alkaline in nature and therefore helps reduce acidity in the body, which is one of the main causes of asthma. 

   4. Drink water at least 45 minutes before meals and at least 1.5 hours after meals. Drinking water during meals should be strictly avoided. This could cause digestion problems and therefore a build up of toxins in the body. 
      
      

5. Issues related to food

   1. As already mentioned, avoid foods that create cough. 

   2. Avoid all processed foods. 

   3. Foods that are alkaline in nature are very helpful in asthma. This includes all fruits, juices, vegetables and salads. However, do note that if one is suffering from weak digestion, then bananas should be avoided. 

   4. Food should be as close in form as is provided by nature. Owing to this, it is preferable to eat:

      1. Boiled vegetables with no masala (spices). If possible, also avoid salt. 

      2. Aata (flour) that has been ground using a hand operated chakki. Else, ensure that it is relatively thick (mota pisai) and the chokar (fibre) has not been thrown away.  

   5. Chew your food well before gulping it down. This makes it easy for the body to digest the food. 

   6. Take as much of munakka (dried grapes), or kishmish (raisins), if munakka is not available.  This will help the body get rid of cough. Soak the munakka / kishmish in water the night before as that tends to make digestion easier.  You could have as much as 50 - 80 grams of munakka / kishmish at one time, depending on one’s appetite. If one is not suffering from constipation, then s/he can eat the munakka along with the seeds as that tends to give energy to the body. Alternatively, you can remove seeds from half the munakka to balance out the effect. You could have kishmish / munakka throughout the day, whenever you feel hungry. 

   7. Lemon is acidic in nature. However, once it goes down the throat, it turns alkaline and therefore is very good to get rid of all acidity in the body. Therefore, one could take lemon and honey mixed in lukewarm water in the morning and evening. 

   8. You could also grind onions, garlic, ginger, tulsi, and mix it with honey and take this about 3-4 times in a day. All these food items help the body get rid of cough.

DIET & LIFESTYLE

1. 1. Lukewarm water mixed with neembu and honey when you wake up. 

   2. Wipe your abdomen from right to left (as the large intestine moves from right to left) with a wet cloth. This tends to activate the large intestine in particular and the digestive system as a whole. Taking kati snan (hip bath) would be even more effective. Thereafter, go out for a walk and breathe deep. 

   3. If your stomach does not clear, hot cold fomentation (garam thanda sek) and enema may be needed. Even if you feel that your motions are good, taking enema for 3 days at a stretch in the beginning would be very effective. 

   4. Hot foot bath (garam per snan) is very helpful in asthma. 

   5. Massage your chest with a hot water bag, in the morning and before sleeping. This will help loosen the phlegm stuck on the lungs. If one is also suffering with a heart disease, ensure that a wet cloth is kept on top of the heart. After the massage is over, remove the wet cloth and do a dry massage over the area to make it warm.

   6. After the above mentioned massage, tie a lapet around the chest. During the day, the lapet could be put on for an hour and during the night, one could keep it on for the entire night.   

   7. Breakfast - Have the soaked kishmish / munakka. Eat it very slowly so that:

      1. You chew it properly.

      2. It mixes well with saliva.

   8. Lunch - Around 11 o’ clock, have salads and then boiled vegetables and roti made with aata, without the chokar (fibre) thrown away.

   9. At 3 / 4 o clock, have some fruit juice / vegetable soup.

   10. Around 6 / 7 in the evening, have kishmish / munakka once again.

   11. About half an hour before sleeping, take 2 - 4 cloves of raw garlic. Chew it well before gulping it down. Drink some lukewarm water thereafter.   

   12. After about 10 days of this regimen, spend 10 days only on fruits.

   13. And then after 10 days on fruits, spend 10 days only on soaked kishmish / munakka.

   14. After 10 days on kishmish / munakka, reverse the process - 10 days on fruits and then 10 days on boiled vegetables and roti. 

7. Exercise / Pranayaam

   1. Walking is a very good exercise.

   2. One could also do: 

      1. Kapalbhati - it is said that with about 30 minutes of practice of kapalbhati, the body can get rid of about 80% of toxins.

      2. Suryabhedi pranayama - this tends to build heat in the body, which should help get rid of cough. 

      3. Ujjayi pranayama - this causes vibrations in the body and therefore helps in release of phlegm.

      4. Anulom vilom - this strengthens the lungs and helps the lungs to store more air.

NOTE: Please seek advice from your Doctor for any of your ailments before acting upon any advice given in this article.