Searching for a cure for your child's asthma at times seems like a search for the Holy Grail.
Just when you think you have it, either it doesn't work or there is some other downside.
Childhood asthma can be cured, or at least, suppressed to the point where it has little or no affect on the sufferer.
This seems to be the goal that we should realistically aim for.
There are many medications available to help control asthma in children, so it can be very manageable for most of them.
This, coupled with a daily regime and lifestyle that avoids asthma triggers, and enhances natural resistance, means that they can live an almost asthma free life.
The most common medications are administered through inhalers, which can be either preventers or relievers.
Asthma can be triggered by many factors like allergens or irritants caused by weather conditions, food varieties, drug intake and pretty much anything that could be breathed in, even perfumes.
Asthma can be triggered by other allergy attacks, for example the onset of the Hay fever season.
Attacks can be prevented by avoiding triggering factors and by 'preventer' treatment.
There are a lot of alternative treatments for asthma, but because they have not been clinically tested we cannot be sure of their effectiveness.
Because a lot are marketed by start up organisations or individuals, there is a credibility gap that needs to be overcome.
We have read that asthma can be classified into two main types: extrinsic, in which attacks are triggered by an allergy, and intrinsic, in which there is no obvious external cause for attacks.
Fortunately in our child's case her asthma is dominantly extrinsic or 'allergic' asthma, so we have had some success in identifying the more persistent causes and simply masking them from her.
Some people find their asthma attacks are linked to certain foods.
Dairy products, eggs, chocolate, wheat, corn, citrus fruits and sea food are the most frequent food triggers.
Anyone experiencing asthma that they feel may be food related should contact their GP to help pinpoint the problem foods.
Certain foods may promote inflammation in the body, which can contribute to asthma and other allergic conditions such as eczema.
Some of the foods which may do this are what are known as the omega-6 fatty acids, typically found in margarine and vegetable oils.
Omega-3 type fats that are typically found in oily fish appear to have the opposite affect and reduce inflammation in the body.
Before we started feeding our child with huge quantities of salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel and herring we realized diet wasn't an issue with her asthma.
Other common substances which seem to provoke asthma like food colouring and preservatives in processed foods also appear to have no significant affect on her.
Curing asthma with traditional remedies and natural cures does not inflict any adverse side effects on the patient.
A holistic approach, blended with an amiable and balanced mix of prescribed medication will also relieve them from any further difficulty in breathing.
So the conclusion is that, although there are natural remedies that can reduce the effects of asthma, there is still no outright cure.
So a regime of reducing risk by controlling the exposure to aggravating elements is a sound course of action.
Coupled with a regime of medication that suppresses the symptoms to the point where they no longer affect the child and the people who care about them.
In my child's case where we tried homeopathic solutions, they were not particularly effective.
But her current treatment is working: find out more by going to http://www.
assmatics.
co.
uk.