Emphysema

       Now known officially as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, emphysema often accompanies chronic bronchitis. It is caused by a lack of elasticity in the lungs, usually due to constant coughing. When the lungs cannot expand and contract with ease, it is difficult breathe. Emphysema often brings a distinctive deep wheezing that interrupts conversation and physical movement. It is so debilitating that it ranks third among the diseases for which Social Security gives disability benefits. Patients often have a history of heavy smoking or live in areas of high air pollution.

      The herbal treatments for emphysema are similar to those for asthma, with an added emphasis on nutritional support for the immune system. See the suggestions for asthma therapy. Some physicians prescribe a low-carbohydrate diet because sweets, simple carbohydrates and sugar tend to worsen emphysema symptoms.

       In 1992 British researchers published a double-blind, randomized crossover study to test the effects of fats and carbohydrates on emphysema. They found that small dietary changes in the balance of carbohydrates to fats affected exercise tolerance and breathlessness significantly.

      The more carbohydrates the patients consumed, the worse their symptoms. Vitamins C and E, magnesium and bioflavonids are important supplements for those with emphysema and so are omega-3 fish oils. In 1994, the New England Journal of Medicine reported on a study of nearly 9,000 smokers and former smokers that showed the more fish they ate, the less chance they had of developing emphysema. Smoking is a major cause of emphysema.

     The relaxing expectorant herbs lobelia and coltsfoot can be helpful in treating emphysema, as can bloodroot and elecampane. For example, a tea made of equal parts coltsfoot, lobelia and the soothing demulcent herbs mullein and Irish moss may help reduce coughing and shortness of breath. Add an equal amount of licorice root if high blood pressure and fluid retention are not a problem. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons tea per cup of boiling water; brew 4 cups at a time in a quart jar for convenience, reheat as desired and sip throughout the day.

Earaches

     Aching ears aren't really a respiratory condition, but earaches often accompany colds, hay fever or allergy attacks and sinus infections. They are especially common in small children, and children treated with antibiotics usually suffer recurring infections.

    If treated at the onset of symptoms such as rubbing the ears, irritability, fussiness or complaints of ear pain, infections can be avoided. Buy or make an ear oil using olive oil, garlic and/or mullein flowers. Warm the oil to a comfortable temperature and drop a few drops down each ear 6 to 10 times daily. Warm oil is the most widely recommended therapy for ear pain. Because diet is so often implicated in ear infections, Rosemary Gladstar recommends that all congestion-causing foods be avoided (her list includes eggs, dairy, wheat and sugar in all forms) by infected children and their nursing mothers.

     Any relaxing tea, such as chamomile or oatstraw, will be helpful, as are teas containing infection-fighting herbs such as echinacea and goldenseal.

Croup

     An affliction of young children, usually between six months and two years of age, croup is an inflammation and obstruction of the larynx that often follows a viral infection of the respiratory tract. A painful, honking cough, harsh breathing, rising pulse rate, restlessness and irritability are common but alarming symptoms.

      So is cyanosis, a bluish tint in the skin caused by oxygen deprivation. In orthodox medicine, croup is treated with humidification and mild sedatives.

      The herbal therapy is similar. A steam vaporizer containing a few drops of eucalyptus, tea tree, sage or thyme essential oil helps bring relief, especially if left on overnight. Warm lemonade, fresh juices diluted with water and chamomile tea are all recommended. Lobelia is a powerful muscle relaxer that can be added in tea or tincture form to any liquid the child will take. In fact, any of the relaxing nervines will help, including chamomile, oatstraw and valerian. Massaging the chest with an aromatic balm is also recommended

cough syrup for colds, flu and other respiratory problems

        First, blend equal parts wild cherry bark, licorice root and burdock root, then add a smaller amount (1/4 to 1/2 part) osha root.

       In a quart jar place 2 tablespoons of this herbal blend, cover with boiling water, close the jar and let the tea steep for at least 4 hours or overnight.

       Next, blend equal parts of dried mullein leaf, sage, coltsfoot and comfrey leaf, then add a small amount (1/4 part) peppermint and, for adults, an equal amount of horehound. Place 2 tablespoons of this tea in a quart Mason jar, add boiling water, close the lid and let the tea stand for 2 hours. Strain and combine these two teas in a large sauce pan and simmer, uncovered, until the tea is reduced to 1/2 or (for a stronger syrup) 1/4 of its volume. For every cup of tea add 3 to 4 tablespoons honey or a combination of 2 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons black cherry concentrate. Add a splash of brandy as a preservative and use as needed to soothe a sore throat.

Coughs

     Coughing is a reflex response to anything that interferes with the passage of air to the lungs. In most cases, the cause is mucus secreted by membranes lining the respiratory tract.

    The breathless cough of an asthma attack can be treated with mullein, including the smoke of a burning mullein leaf. When anxiety contributes to asthma, relaxing nervines such as oatstraw, chamomile and lobelia help prevent spasms and coughing. As noted in the section describing bronchitis, dry, hacking, irritating coughs respond well to relaxing expectorants like lobelia and coltsfoot, while wet coughs need more stimulating expectorants such as horehound and elecampane.

    Any cough can be soothed by chewing on osha root  or, especially recommended for smokers, calamus root. When an illness such as a cold or the flu causes coughing, the use of cough-suppressing herbs interferes with the body's cleansing mechanisms, for coughing helps the body rid itself of waste products. In that case, expectorant herbs such as horehound and coltsfoot are effective, for they make coughing more productive. Infection-fighting herbs such as echinacea and the culinary herbs sage and thyme are also helpful, for they help remove the cause of the illness.

   Whenever coughing produces blood or does not respond to treatment and lasts more than a week, it should be checked by a medical professional

The Allergic Connection.

      No matter what conditions trigger an asthma attack, naturopathic physicians believe that asthma's underlying causes are food sensitivities or food allergies, insufficient hydrochloric acid (even among children), leading to incomplete digestion, and exposure food additives and other chemicals that overburden the immune system, causing it to malfunction.

     Diets that eliminate common allergens have been effective in treating asthmatic adults and children. Double-blind food challenges in children have shown that sensitivities resulting in immediate symptoms are most likely to involve eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts and peanuts, while those resulting in the delayed onset of symptoms are most likely to involve milk, chocolate, wheat, citrus fruits and food coloring. Of course, every person is different, and the best way to tell what foods may be triggering your or your child's symptoms is to keep a food diary, experiment with food groups and rotation diets, try applied kinesiology's muscle testing or see a health care professional who specializes in nutrition. In someone whose production of hydrochloric acid is insufficient for complete digestion, discovering the causes of food allergies and eliminating them is only part of the solution, for unless the low stomach acid is corrected, new food sensitivities will develop as new foods replace old ones.

     According to Jonathan Wright, M.D., one of the diseases associated with low stomach acid is childhood asthma. This deficiency is easy to diagnose and the cure is inexpensive. Digestive supplements containing hydrochloric acid are sold in health food stores.

Asthma

      A full-blown asthma attack is a nightmare: you can't catch your breath. Add coughing, rattly wheezing, a choking sensation and the light-headed feeling that accompanies a lack of oxygen and you get the idea. Asthma is worse than inconvenient; it can be fatal.

     In the United States, asthma has become an epidemic, especially among children. Orthodox physicians treat it with steroids, antihistamines, bronchiole dilators and other drugs, all of which have adverse side effects and none of which address asthma's cause. "Extrinsic" or "atopic" asthma is related to allergies and brings a characteristic increase in the blood serum immunoglobulin IgE. ''Intrinsic" asthma does not involve allergies; it is triggered by chemicals, exposure to cold air or water, active physical exercise, infection or emotional upset.

      Recent research by Michael Burr at the Center for Applied Public Health Medicine in Cardiff, Wales, found that industrial pollution with sulfur dioxide and smoke does not cause asthma but appears to increase its severity. The study blamed diesel exhaust fumes and ozone for increasing the allergic effects of inhaled allergens and noted a rise in asthma cases in areas with decreasing industrial pollution but increasing automobile traffic. Until hydrogen replaces petroleum as a fuel, large cities and busy roads will make life more difficult for asthma patients.

Other Approaches.

       The food supplement quercetin, a bioflavonoid, has been shown to relieve or prevent hay fever and allergy symptoms, and the nutritional support offered by vitamin/mineral supplements is important as well.

       Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, and large doses during hay fever season may bring relief. Orothomolecular physicians recommend as much as 5 to 20 grams of vitamin C taken in 4 to 8 doses over 24 hours for this condition.

      Salt is another decongestant. To treat hay fever symptoms, drink an 8-ounce glass of water followed by a pinch of salt on the tongue every 15 to 30 minutes until symptoms subside. The same strategy will work for asthma. Mechanical aids make a difference, too.

      Breathe Right nasal strips are a familiar sight in professional football games, where players use them to keep nasal passages clear when plastic mouth guards interfere with normal respiration. Advertised as a drug-free way to relieve snoring as well as nasal congestion due to allergies, colds and deviated septums, these strips are sold in drugstores and in health supply catalogs. A simple way to break the hay fever cycle without drugs is to go on a week-long cleansing juice fast, drinking only water and freshly prepared raw fruit and vegetable juices and eating no solid food at all. If you're like most hay fever sufferers, your sneezing symptoms will diminish or disappear, suggesting a link to food sensitivities.

Herbs That Can Help.

      If you don't have high blood pressure, the Chinese herb Ma huang (ephedra vulgaris) may be helpful. The active ingredient in most commercial allergy preparations made from herbs, Ma huang or Chinese ephedra is a powerful decongestant. It clears bronchial passageways, dries sinuses, helps relieve sneezing and makes breathing easier. It also speeds the pulse, raises blood pressure, makes it difficult to relax and feels like caffeine. The more you take, the more dramatic these side effects, so start with a small amount, don't take Ma huang in the evening (it may keep you awake) and, if brewing a tea with this herb, make a weak infusion to start. Nettle (Urtica dioica) may sting when you touch it, but nettle tea soothes the system.

     In "A Randomized Double-Blind Study of Freeze-Dried Urtica dioica in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis," published in the journal Planta Medica (February 1990), P. Mittman reported significant hay fever relief from capsules containing freeze-dried nettle. The therapy had few side effects and improvement came within a week for those who found the treatment effective. Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Spontaneous Healing, controls his own hay fever with this therapy. Nettle tea and fresh nettle juice are used in Europe for a variety of conditions, including several respiratory problems.

     Echinacea and goldenseal are a favorite combination for hay fever therapy. In fact, many herbalists consider goldenseal the most effective botanical treatment for acute sinus infections because it fights bacteria and viruses while soothing mucous membranes.

     Both herbs support the immune system. Teas and tinctures made with red clover, sage, burdock root or licorice root are often recommended for hay fever prevention and treatment and all have much to recommend them.

    Gail Ulrich, herbalist and director of the Blazing Star Herbal School recommends an infusion of dried mullein leaf (2 tablespoons or 1 ounce by volume of the dried herb per quart of boiling water) steeped 2 to 4 hours and given in [1/2] cup doses 4 times daily for 6 weeks to eliminate allergies to pet dander and relieve other allergy symptoms. Rosemary Gladstar has an unusual recipe for garlic-ginger syrup that helps prevent allergies and hay fevers. See page 41 for the recipe.

Homeopathy

      The bee pollen approach to hay fever resembles homeopathy, for both strategies introduce small amounts of allergenic substances in hopes that the body will respond and overcome the illness. The difference is in the dosage.
      Homeopathic hay fever preparations are extremely dilute solutions of the yeasts, molds, grasses, tree pollens, fungi, animal dander, dust mites and other airborne allergens that typically cause reactions. Respiratory illnesses such as hay fever are among the conditions homeopathy is best known for treating. A similar strategy is used by people who take ragweed tincture in the spring and early summer, before this plant flowers.
     The Heritage Store in Virginia sells products recommended by Edgar Cayce, the American psychic whose well documented medical insights cured thousands during the 1930s and '40s. Edgar Cayce recommended ragweed to over a hundred individuals as a liver tonic and nonhabit-forming laxative and prescribed it to help desensitize pollen-sensitive systems when taken ahead of pollen season. Users have reported relief from other allergies after taking ragweed tincture for several weeks.

       The Heritage Store's product contains only ragweed and grain alcohol. Inspired when I read this at the peak of ragweed season as I was sneezing my head off, I gathered blossoms from the inconspicuous common ragweed (Artemesia artemisifolia) and the tree-tall great or giant ragweed (A. trifida), covered the pollen-rich flowers with vodka and made my own tincture. The following spring I began taking half a dropperful daily. All through ragweed season, which lasts to the end of October, I continued the ragweed experiment and seldom sneezed, even when pollen counts hit record highs.