Licorice Root - Not the candy, but the root that flavors the candy, has been for centuries considered one of the best herbs for asthma. Licorice is also an anti-inflammatory, and can help soothe swollen breathing pathways. Some asthma patients who take cortisone medicines for their asthma also take licorice root to get rid of their medicine’s side effects. Although you can try chewing licorice root, it’s not really recommended by this writer. You can drink teas with licorice root in it, suck on lozenges made with licorice root or take licorice root capsules.
Pour boiling water over the herbs in a saucepan and steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain out herbs. For a 50-pound child, give a half cup of tea at least once a day as a preventive, or a few times a day when breathing becomes strained or when emotional conditions may lead to an attack. If you use a tincture of these herbs, give ¼ dropperful (15 drops) to replace each half-cup of tea. Store extra tea in the refrigerator.
Peppermint – can be used as a steaming agent added to boiling water. The patient then simply breathes in the vapors of the steam. The herb will help soothe and relax the airways and break up the mucus.
“Chai”-spiced tea is even more effective in keeping asthma at bay during the day. Celestial Seasonings’ “Original India Spice” seems better than others I've tried, possibly because it is the only one that contains anise seed. Black pepper is also probably a key ingredient for the beneficial effect in asthma. It would be simple enough to concoct your own mixture to add to regular tea: Besides anise and black pepper, chai also usually includes cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and may also contain chicory, fennel, and nutmeg as well as other spices. “Breathe Deep” tea from Yogi Teas is a very good herbal tea for maintaining asthma relief.
Use primrose oil, also known as evening primrose, to combat inflammation. Primrose oil contains essential fatty acids needed in the production of prostaglandins.This is one of the best herbs for asthma.
Coltsfoot acts as an antispasmodic and sedative. It is an herb for asthma that soothes and calms the patient. Coltsfoot can be consumed directly by chewing or through the preparation of a medicinal tea made from the dried coltsfoot to ease cough and relieve chest pain in chest colds. This tea is also beneficial in the cure of whooping cough and viral pneumonia.
Flavonoids are also favorites among asthma sufferers. This includes herbs such as Quercetin and Genistein. These supplements are available in health stores, and offer anti-inflammatory properties. As you probably know, when you can keep inflammation to a minimum, you have a much better chance of treating your asthma. It is one of the useful herbs for asthma.
Saw palmetto: this herb will only relieve the muscle contraction and will also work as a proper breakup towards the mucous plugs of the body. Large amount of dose of this herb can be really dangerous as it poses many Sid effects so consume it with proper medical guidance.
Cayenne: this herb in asthma is used as a stimulant of respiratory responses in the body. This herb attacks the blockages and clears a person’s respiratory tract.
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and has been used as a coloring agent, spice and medicine for thousands of years. The active constituents are the diarylhepanoids, including curcumin, which are found in the vividly yellow rhizome. In an uncontrolled trial in India, 60% of asthma patients given 6-12grams of turmeric powder that had been fried in ghee showed a relief in their symptoms. Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory in both acute and chronic conditions, and it is believed to work in a variety of biological pathways to reduce inflammation.