Asthma is more common than you might think. More than 22 million people in the United States have asthma, including 6.5 million children under age 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Asthma is a chronic disease of the passageways (known as airways) that carry air to the lungs. When asthma strikes, these airways become constricted, and their linings become swollen, irritated, and inflamed. In susceptible individuals, this inflammation causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning.
Asthma is often associated with other conditions. These conditions are often considered triggers, or things that make asthma worse . Asthma is one of the 3 manifestations of a pattern of allergy, called atopy. The associated disorders are eczema and hay fever. Medications for long-term control of asthma include inhaled corticosteroids, cromolyn, nedocromil, leukotriene modifiers and long-acting bronchodilators. Inhaled corticosteroids remain the most effective anti-inflammatory medications in the treatment of asthma.
One study in 2005 found that 57% of the asthmatics studied found more relief from a combination of conventional and natural treatments, than prescription medicines alone. One of the natural treatments being used was aloe vera. This is not surprising because there are published studies on the benefits of aloe vera for asthma from as far back as 1951 to more recently in the mid 1980’s.
Aloe vera contains natural steroids and other compounds that inhibit or reduce inflammation. Interestingly, the studies done in Japan in the 1980’s showed that some compounds in aloe cause in increase in the removal of particles that may be asthma triggers. This is one explanation for how aloe helps asthmatics.
Aloe vera should not be used to treat an ongoing asthma attack though because it has only been shown to be effective when used as a preventative measure. So even if you use aloe and it helps, still keep your inhaler nearby for attacks.
