Quote:
Originally Posted by santiago
My son (6 years old) has pretty severe asthma. He's been to the emergency room a few times and we now have a nebulizer and inhaler at home. His asthma seems to be triggered primarily by colds. Pretty much 100% of the time that he gets a cold the dreaded "cough" starts soon thereafter. He is like 10 for 10 with colds and asthma.
We're really frustrated (and nervous) for his severe asthma attacks. He is too young and we are desperately looking for an alternate natural cure. Thanks in advance for any ideas.
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Like Craig mentioned, your child is at the age when his immune system is still developing, and there is a chance that he could outgrow it. Generally, asthma is a hypersensitive immune reaction in the airways, leading to inflammation, constriction, and overproduction of mucus. Because it is primarily an immune reaction, you might want to look for methods that influence the immune system.
Does your family live in an area where there is a lot of air pollution (from cars, industry, winter inversions, etc.) or indoor air pollution (smoking, a lot of dust, pet hair/fur, etc.) of some sort?
It seems there are strong ties between air pollution and the incidence of asthma. If you can reduce any of these sources or exposure, it might help give his lungs a rest and allow them to heal more. I noticed this past December when I got sick and had bronchitis and my area had terrible air pollution (due to an inversion), that I had serious trouble breathing. Tightness in my chest and like I was gasping desperately for air.
What I found useful were green tea, coffee, cocoa, cranberry juice, and other drinks or foods (primarily fruits, veggies, seaweed) high in antioxidants. These allowed me relief for several hours and allowed me to breathe easier and freely. Tea contains strong antioxidants and contains small amounts of caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. Caffeine seems to act as an anti-inflammatory agent, although it can increase the release of adrenaline and cortisol as well as its well-known stimulative effects. Theobromine and theophylline both relax smooth muscles, including those in the bronchi, and theophylline is apparently used for asthma treatment in high doses.
Theophylline - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Theobromine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Theobromine in particular is found in cocoa. Things like cocoa, tea, cranberry or blueberry or dark grape juice, etc. are also rich in flavonoids, such as catechins or proanthocyanidins, which often have anti-inflammatory effects. Of all of these sources, probably cocoa and blueberry are the richest in total antioxidant power. But it is important to keep in mind that different antioxidants and chemicals will have different effects. Also, these antioxidants can be rendered useless if taken with food or mixed with proteinaceous or fatty foods like milk, because catechins and other polyphenols often "stick" to proteins and fats and may not become available to the body or go into your system. These antioxidants may moderate the immune system.
Keep in mind that these may interfere with drugs and their actions or cause drug interactions because of the way they affect the liver (most of these chemicals are metabolized in the liver and some by the same enzymes that work on drugs), so you should check with your doctor for expert knowledge and advice before attempting anything.
You can also try omega-3 fatty acid supplements (or seafood like salmon, shrimp, etc.), because these have strong anti-inflammatory effects and are good for the heart and brain. These are primarily rich in DHA and EPA. However, these have possible side effects including blood thinning and anti-coagulent effects--all of which could increase the risk of prolonged bleeding. You can also obtain other omega-3 sources from flax seed, certain nuts like walnuts and almonds, etc. These are rich in ALA. Once again, check with your doctor if you decide to attempt anything.
Omega-3 fatty acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
You may also want to check your diet to see if it is high in trans-fats, saturated fats, omega-6 fats (a skewed ratio of these to healthier fats like mono- and polyunsaturated fats from olive oil, flax seed, etc.), sugars, refined starches or bleached flours, etc. All of these seem to increase inflammation.
One more neat thing is that extra virgin olive oil has a chemical in it called oleocanthal that is very similar to ibuprofen. It has anti-inflammatory activity.
BBC NEWS | Health | Olive oil 'acts like painkiller'
Oleocanthal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
One more thing. I'm not a doctor, so I can't give medical advice. Please don't take these as medical advice. These are things which I've found work for me and seem to have good science behind them.
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Teach a Wall Street banker how to build a fire and he'll be warm for the night. Set a Wall Street banker on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Logic
The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.
--Ambrose Bierce,
The Devil's Dictionary
Some notes and suggestions
) .. and over the years I have become aware of environmental factors concerning my health.. 
maybe this is what triggered my last attack..I also often keep in check with my central nervous system.. ensuring less stress in my life.. and my immune systems ability to ward off the slightest infection.. especially chest infections.. causing bronchial asthma.. 
