Cough and asthma treatment in homoeopathy: A long-term inflammatory condition of the lungs' airways is known as asthma. The symptoms occurring in asthma are variable and recurring. There is a reversible airflow obstruction. Bronchospasm or sudden constriction in the walls of the bronchioles in the respiratory tract can happen from time to time. Common symptoms of episodes in asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. The frequency of asthmatic attacks may vary from time to time and from person to person. It may occur a few times a day to a few times a week. When we proceed to the causes, we realize multiple factors work together to initiate asthma. These include genetic and environmental factors. Exposure to air pollutants and allergens is one major ecological trigger that can create and worsen asthma. Other triggers can include medications such as beta-blockers and aspirin.
In identical twins, if one is affected with asthma, the other one has a probability of 25% developing asthma. According to the hygiene hypothesis, there has been an increased asthma case globally, as there is reduced exposure to non-pathogenic viruses and bacteria during childhood. Certain medical conditions can co-exist, such as atopy, atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, and asthma. There is a correlation between asthma and obesity, and the frequency of both has increased in recent years. There can be an exacerbation of asthma in certain weeks and months. The diagnosis is made through symptoms and tests. In conventional medicine, medicines such as corticosteroids are given. These medicines' dose keeps on generally increasing if any alternate management and exercise routine is not followed. Homoeopathic asthma management can help limit inhalers' usage and is guided based on particular symptoms, family history, and personal history.
Some of the homoeopathic remedies used to manage asthma include:
Arsenic album
The person needing arsenic album generally wants everything to be executed with perfection. The patient fears that he would be suffocated and is unable to lie down. The air passages are constricted, and asthma is worse at midnight. There is burning in the chest and suffocative catarrh. The cough is worse after midnight and after lying on the back. Expectoration is scanty and frothy. There can be darting pain on the upper right side of the chest. There is wheezing during respiration.
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Bryonia
The patient needing Bryonia has a frequent desire to take a long breath. It feels that one must ultimately expand the lungs to breathe correctly. The respiration is difficult and quick and worse with every movement. The patient may also cough with a feeling as if the chest would fly to pieces. Expectoration can be brick shade, challenging, and can fall like lumps of jelly. There is tough mucus in the trachea which is loosened only after much hawking. There is heaviness beneath the sternum, which extends towards the right shoulder. Coming into a warm room can excite cough in such people.
Carbo vegetabilis
The typical patient needing Carbo vegetabilis is sluggish, fat, lazy, and tends to chronicity in his complaints. Asthma generally occurs in aged people with blue skin. There is spasmodic cough, bluish face, offensive expectoration, neglected pneumonia. The breath is cold, and the patient must be fanned. Cough is present with itching in the larynx. It is spasmodic with gagging and vomiting of mucus. There is a deep, rough voice, which fails on slight exertion. Hoarseness is worse in the evening, on talking. There is evening oppression of breathing and a raw and sore chest.
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Chamomilla
The patient needing chamomilla is not at all mild, calm, and gentle. The person is sensitive, irritable, thirsty, hot, and numb. There can be over sensitiveness from abuse of coffee and narcotics. There is hoarseness, hawking, and rawness of the larynx. There can be irritable, dry, and tickling cough. There can be suffocative tightness of chest, with bitter expectoration in the daytime. There is a rattling of mucus in a child’s chest if it suffers from a respiratory problem such as asthma.
Drosera
A person needing drosera rotundifolia has respiratory organs markedly affected. The patient can have a spasmodic, dry, irritative cough, like whooping cough. The paroxysm of cough follows the prior very rapidly, and the patient can scarcely breathe. Such rapid coughing may result in choking. The expectoration may be yellow with bleeding from the nose and mouth. There was asthma when one talks, with contraction of the throat at every word uttered. Cough can be intense and hoarse and is worse after midnight. There is a rough, scraping sensation deep in fauces and soft palate. There is a clergyman’s sore throat.
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Ipecacuanha
Ipecacuanha mainly acts on ramifications of the pneumogastric nerve and produces spasmodic irritation in the chest and stomach. There is dyspnoea, i.e., laboured or difficult breathing. There is a constant constriction in the chest. There is asthma, and yearly attacks of difficult shortness of breathing are there. There can be continued sneezing, coryza, and wheezing cough. Cough is violent and incessant, with every breath. Hoarseness is mostly there at the end of a cold. Complete aphonia, i.e. inability to speak, can occur.
Natrum sulphuricum
Natrum sulph can be given to people who have dyspnoea, especially during damp weather. The patient must hold his chest while coughing. There is humid asthma and rattling in the chest at 4 and 5 a.m. When there is asthma in children, it can be used as a constitutional remedy. There is a pain in the lower left chest. Since the patient has a cough that hurts a lot, the patient springs up in bed and holds the painful side. Every fresh cold can bring on an attack of asthma. Cough occurs with thick ropy, greenish expectoration. There is a constant desire to take a long deep breath.
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Nux vomica
Nux vomica is the greatest of polychrests as it acts on an extensive range of symptoms in the patient needing it. There is catarrhal hoarseness, with scraping in the throat. There can be spasmodic constriction. Asthma can be present with fullness in the stomach, worsening in the morning or after eating. Cough is there with a sensation as if something were torn loose in the chest. There may be shallow respiration and oppressed breathing. There is a tight, dry, hacking cough, and it occurs with bloody expectoration at times.
Pulsatilla
Pulsatilla is predominantly a female remedy and is primarily used for females with mild, gentle females of yielding disposition. The patient suffers from hoarseness that is capricious, which comes and goes. The patient can have short breath, anxiety, and palpitation when lying on the left side. There is a smothering sensation on lying down. There is dry cough in the evening and at night, and the patient must sit up in bed to get relief. There is a loose cough in the morning, with copious mucus expectoration.
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Spongiatosta
This remedy acts mainly in the symptoms of respiratory organs, cough, croup, etc. There is high aridity of all air passages. Respiration is short, panting, and challenging. Croup is worse before midnight and during inspiration. The chest is weak, and the affected person can scarcely talk. There can be goitre with suffocative spells.
It is advised that a patient shall not take any homoeopathic medicine without consulting a homoeopathic doctor.
[With inputs from Dr Jyoti Sharma (Homeopathic Doctor), Founder of Kaila Homeopathy]
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