Ayurvedic Treatment for Asthma – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Herbal Supplements

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic non-communicable lung disease which has widespread prevalence in the whole world. The global prevalence of Asthma is on rise, and there is about a 50% increase seen every decade. This disease is seen more in urban regions as the people are more exposed to allergens here. Asthma is equally common in both children and adults but it is a common disease of childhood. Our lungs are a spongy organ which inflate and deflate while respiration. Proper functioning of our lungs, alveoli, and airways ensure smooth and stable respiration. When we breathe in, the oxygen rich air enters our lungs and when we breathe out the carbon dioxide rich air is expelled out from our lungs. The gaseous exchange occurs within the alveoli in the lungs. The cause of Asthma is not clear and is sometimes auto-immune in origin. While there is no cure for asthma, the symptoms can be effectively managed by life-long treatment.

Introduction

Asthma is an inflammatory condition of lungs which causes narrowing of airways. This is commonly seen as breathing difficulty and episodes of severe coughing especially at night. Normally, our body’s immune system fights off infections and there can be slight inflammation in the process. But here even the harmless factors trigger the inflammation leading to an exaggerated immune response. The airways become hypersensitive or over-responsive to any allergen, irritant or viruses etc. causing narrowing of airway, tightening of the muscles and swelling causing excessive mucus production in the airways. This causes difficulty in breathing and overtime the air walls can get permanently thickened. Usually asthma is not life-threatening but the more severe form of asthma where the patient doesn’t respond to standard treatment is called “Status Asthmaticus”. It develops very quickly and immediate intervention is necessary to save the life of a patient. Asthma is often triggered by some factor and can range from mild to severe, impacting a person’s quality of life.

Causes & Triggers

The cause for Asthma is unclear but certainly there are triggering factors which might worsen the condition. These are:

• Allergens: Like dust, pollen, hay, molds, dust mites, pet fur etc. can lead to an exaggerated immune response.
• Obesity: The prevalence of asthma is seen more in obese people.
• Family history of asthma can increase your chances of having asthma too.
• Early life incidents like low birth weight, premature birth, respiratory distress can increase the risk of asthma.
• Sex: It is seen more in boys than girls.
• Climate: Changing weather, cold temperatures, increase the symptoms.
• Pollen seasons: Time between March- April and August- October can worsen the symptoms as it is a pollen season which aggravates the symptoms.
• Occupational hazards: Working in wood dust, asbestos, chemical fumes, irritating gases, cleaning agents, latex can irritate the airways.
• Increased AQI, smoking, and tobacco intake can also increase the risk of asthma.
• Underlying conditions like eczema, rhinitis, can increase the risk.
• Abuse of certain medications like aspirins can also cause the over-responsiveness of the immune system.

Types

1. Allergic or Extrinsic Asthma

This is triggered by any allergen, such as pollen, pet fur, or mold etc. It is commonly seen in younger children and is generally seen with other allergic conditions like eczema or hay fever.

2. Non-Allergic or Intrinsic Asthma

This type is not triggered by allergens but can be caused by respiratory infections, exercise, cold air, or stress etc. It is typically seen in adults.

3. Exercise-Induced Asthma (EIA)

It is also known as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, and occurs when physical activity causes the airways to narrow, leading to asthma symptoms. It is common in individuals with allergic asthma.

4. Occupational Asthma

This type of asthma is caused by exposure to irritants in the workplace, such as chemicals, fumes, or dust. It is seen in industries like farming, construction, or chemical manufacturing, etc.

5. Cough-Variant Asthma

In this only a persistent cough is seen and is common in adults. It is often misdiagnosed with chronic bronchitis.

Symptoms

Symptoms can vary from person to person in accordance to the severity of the condition. It is often seen that the symptoms aggravate at a particular time of day, and get triggered by a specific allergen. The symptoms follow some pattern or similarity in every patient. These are:

• A persistent cough, especially at night and early morning.
• Tightness in chest
• Wheezing or a whistle-like sound occurs while breathing. This happens due to narrowing of airway
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty lying down or sleeping due to difficulty in breathing.
• Phlegm after coughing which is associated to “Status Asthmaticus” is a serious asthma attack, where all these symptoms are seen along with few other symptoms which require immediate intervention:
• Urgent shortness of breath making it even difficult to speak.
• Severe bouts of cough making the face of the patient completely flushed.
• Bluish skin, lips, face.
• Heavy sweating.
• Dizziness & Confusion.

Signs

• Fatigue
• Requires an effort for respiration
• Respiratory distress signs like use of accessory muscles for breathing, flaring of nostrils.
• Increased mucus in the airways
• Coughing gets worse on lying down
• Hunching of shoulder in chronic cases

Grades In Asthma

Diagnosis

Asthma is diagnosed through a combination of physical symptoms and a number of tests done for confirmation. These are:

1. Physical Examination: A thorough medical history and physical assessment of the patient is necessary for diagnosis. On auscultation, a wheezing sound is heard.
2. Spirometry: It measures the amount of air exhaled out and at what speed it is exhaled. It helps in evaluating the amount of airway obstruction.
3. Peak Expiratory Flow: It measures the speed of air exhaled out. It helps in monitoring the progress of asthma.
4. Allergy Testing: Blood tests or skin tests can be done to know the triggering factors.
5. Exhaled Nitric Oxide Test: It measures the amount of nitric acid in breath which indicates the inflammation.
6. X-Ray or a CT scan are done to visualize the thickening of bronchial walls.

Treatment

The goal of Asthma treatment is to control symptoms, prevent flare-ups, and improve quality of life. Treatment strategies generally include:

1. Medications

• Long-Term Control Medications: like corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, and long-acting beta-agonists. They reduce inflammation and prevent asthma attacks in future.
• Quick-Relief (Rescue) Medications: Short-acting bronchodilators (such as albuterol) provide rapid relief during an asthma attack by relaxing the airway muscles.
• Allergy Shots: It turns down the body’s allergic response to any trigger.

2. Inhalers and Nebulizers

• Inhalers are the most common method of delivering asthma medication.
• Nebulizers convert the medication into a mist, which can be inhaled for immediate relief to those with more severe symptoms.

3. Immunotherapy

• Allergy shots or oral immunotherapy may help reduce sensitivity to allergens over time in individuals with allergic asthma.

4. Lifestyle Adjustments

• Avoiding triggers
• Maintaining healthy weight
• Regular exercises
• Managing stress
• Yoga & pranayama routine to increase quality of life in asthma patients.

(C. chi. 17/45)

The vitiated vata along with kapha dosha in chest obstructs the pranavaha (air channels), udaka vaha (lymph channels) and aanavaha (digestive system) srotas (channels) developing “shwasa” (shortness of breath). Here the vata moves in the opposite direction because of the obstruction of pranavaha srotas (respiratory tract) causing stiffness in head and neck. The aggravated Kapha dosha causes “घुर्घुरुकं” sounds which when heard are similar to wheezing along with the symptoms of cough and cold.

(C. chi. 17 / 58-62)

Patients feel comfortable only in sitting position as there is severe coughing when the patient tries to lie down. There can be hoarseness, shortness of breath, and might not get proper rest & sleep. Patient prefers to eat and drink everything hot. The symptoms get worse in a cold, rainy, windy atmosphere. During an attack, the eye balls of the patient get prominent because of coughing, dryness in mouth and throat, sweating of forehead are seen. It develops quickly due to the presence of a trigger and then subsides. Acharya Charaka has said tamaka shwasa to be treatable in the initial stages but in chronic condition it is yapya which means it is not curable but manageable.

वातश्लेष्महरैर्युक्तं तमके तु विरेचनम् (C. Chi. 17/121)

For treatment, the primary line of treatment should be virechana (purgation) with the help of vata and kapha balancing herbs. For immediate relief it is advised to mix Sendha namak (himalayan pink salt) with til tail (sesame oil) and massage it on the chest. Sauvarchaladi Churna, Muktadi Churna, Shatyadi Churna, Manashila Ghrita, etc. are also advised to use in Tamaka Shwasa. Brihmana (nourishmant) therapy makes the shwasa curable but if the patient is getting karshya (emaciated), the treatment gets difficult. In the diet, food items of hot potency (ushna veerya) are advised for vata-anulomana i.e., facilitating proper movement of vata dosha.

HERBAL REMEDIES FOR ASTHMA BY PLANET AYURVEDA

Planet Ayurveda provides a combination of ayurvedic herbs for the management of Asthma. With the use of above-mentioned herbs, planet Ayurveda has compiled the “Asthma Care Pack”. This pack includes Aller-G Care, Shwash Kuthar Ras, Praanrakshak Churna and Tulsi Capsules. All the Planet Ayurveda medicines are 100 % natural, vegetarian, additive free, chemical & preservative free and without any side effects. With ayurvedic intervention, Asthma can be managed efficiently and thus, increasing the quality of life.

Asthma Care Pack

Product Description

1. Aller-G Care

Aller-G Care capsules are made using a concentrated extract from Haridra (Curcuma longa), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Shirish (Albizia lebbeck), and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). This unique blend supports optimal lung health. It serves as a dietary supplement due to its antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, while also promoting strong immunity.

DOSAGE: 2 capsules twice daily with warm water after meals.

2. Praanrakshak Churna

This churna is prepared from the standardized extract derived from the equal parts of Shirish (Albizia lebbeck), Vaasa (Adhatoda vasica), Anantmool (Tylophora asthmatica), and Kantkari (Solanum xanthocarpum). Along with it Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanica), Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum), and Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra) are also present in this churna. All these herbs are Shwasahara which means they are beneficial in the shirish in that it balances all our tridoshas. Vaasa acts on excess phlegm, cold and cough. Anantmool and Bharangi are both “Kapha-shamak” i.e., pacify Kapha dosha. Mulethi has “Lekhaniya” properties which means it acts as an expectorant and scrapes off the excess mucus from the airways.

DOSAGE: 1 teaspoonful twice daily with warm water after meals.

3. Tulsi Capsules

These capsules are prepared from the standardised extract derived from the leaves of tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum). Tulsi balances Vata and Kapha dosha and increases Pitta dosha. Tulsi is rich in various active alkaloids like eugenol, ocimese, limonene etc. which makes it an extremely beneficial herb. The extract is rich in alpha-linolenic acid which is highly anti-inflammatory. Limonene is extremely beneficial in the treatment of bronchitis. Tulsi also has an expectorant action which enables it to remove phlegm from the bronchus.

DOSAGE: 2 capsules twice daily with warm water after meals.

4. Shwas Kuthar Ras

These tablets are a classical herbo-mineral preparation formulated from the standardized extract derived from Trikatu (Three bitters) and Vatsanabha (Aconitum ferox). Along with it, purified parada (Mercury), purified gandhak (Sulphur), purified manashila (Realgar) and purified tankan (Calcined borax) are also used to prepare these tablets. Proper ayurvedic Shodhana (purification) procedures are followed for detoxification of these metals. It balances both Vata and Kapha dosha therefore is indicated to be used in asthma. It improves respiratory functions and decreases the phlegm production in the chest, thus improving cough and breathlessness of the patient.

DOSAGE: 1 tablet twice daily with warm water after meals.

CONCLUSION

Asthma is a complex and chronic respiratory condition that can significantly impact an individual’s daily life. With appropriate medications, lifestyle modifications, and avoiding triggers, individuals with asthma can lead active and healthy lives. Including yoga and pranayama in the daily routine has proven beneficial for improving lung capacity. As research continues to evolve, the future of asthma care looks promising, offering new treatment options and improved outcomes for patients. Ayurveda offers a natural and holistic approach for managing asthma, which helps to reduce the growing reliance on inhalers and nebulizers, making the condition more manageable.