5 percent of American adults and 5 to 10 percent of children have asthma. It accounts for some 500,000 hospital admissions every year. Asthma is not just a childhood illness.

Asthma occurs when the main air passages in the lungs, called bronchioles, become inflamed and overly sensitive to triggers. During attacks, the lungs produce extra mucous and the bronchiole walls narrow, making breathing difficult.

Symptoms Of Asthma

- coughing
- wheezing
- shortness of breath
- tightness in your chest

Controlling Asthma Naturally

More than 80 percent of adults with asthma have allergies that trigger or worsen symptoms.

Be careful what you eat. Some foods are known to trigger asthma attacks.

Avoid plant pollen. It is a main asthma trigger.

Avoid mold. Mold is a common asthma trigger, and it thrives in bathrooms and other high-moisture areas.

Give your pets regular baths. Dogs and cats are loaded with dander — a combination of skin cells and allergy causing proteins that can provoke asthma attacks.

Open the windows when you cook. Strong food odors from a smoky frying pan, for example, or the pungent oils in raw onions and garlic often irritate airways and trigger asthma attacks.

Try to eliminate as much dust as possible.

Get rid of dust mites. These microscopic creatures thrive on dead skin cells. They’re an asthma trigger. Try to vacuum as much as possible.

Keep your house pest free.

Do not let anyone smoke around you. Cigarette smoke is extremely irritating. It not only triggers asthma attacks but also can increase the risk of asthma in children.

Herbs for Asthma

Coleus – This herb relaxes the airways.

Nettle – This herb is great for asthma sufferers that also suffer with sinus problems or nasal allergies.

Licorice – This herb is anti-inflammatory, which provides a cortisol-like effect. Cortisol is a popular drug used to reduce inflammation in people with asthma.

Foods for Asthma

Fatty Acids – During asthma attacks the lungs become inflamed. To reduce inflammation naturally, consider turning to omega-3′s, which are found in fish and flaxseed oil.

Antioxidants – Keep your body free of cell-damaging molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals increases in the body when their is inflammation, and asthma is an inflammatory disease. The best way to control free radicals and limit their damage is to take supplements containing antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and beta carotene.