TREATMENT DURING THE ATTACK-
• Hot fomentations to the back of the neck, thorax, and front of the chest are helpful, along
with a hot footbath. Keep the head cool by sponging with cool water or use a fan.
• Pouring cold water on the back of the neck is useful. As the person bends over, the water
is poured on the back of the neck from a container holding about a gallon of water. From
about 24 inches above the neck, pour it for about 30-90 seconds. Do this 3 times a day
during the critical phase.
• A vaporizer, which blows cold, moist air is helpful during an attack. Menthol or
eucalyptus oil may be added to the water.
• After blending a clove of garlic in a cup of water, drink it. This may be vomited back
out, loosening the phlegm. If vomited, give another cup. The garlic really helps.
• Some take a cup of hot water, catnip tea, or mullein tea each hour.
• At the first sign of an asthmatic attack, sit up straight in a chair for the first 10 minutes.
Inhale through your nose and exhale through pursed lips. This helps press open the
bronchial tubes.
• Then lie on your stomach, with your head and chest over the edge of the bed. Cough
gently for 2-3 minutes, to bring up the sputum. (But, during an attack, some cannot
tolerate this position; instead, they lie face down on the bed with 2-3 pillows under their
hips and a towel under their face.)
• A neutral bath (94o-98o F.) is quieting to the nerves and helps relax them.
• Lobelia is an herb that, when sipped slowly, relaxes the nerves and tends to stop the
spasm. (If one drinks more quickly, it has a different effect, and induces vomiting.)
• Mullein oil is a worthwhile remedy for bronchial congestion. The oil stops coughs
because it unclogs bronchial tubes. When taken with water or fruit juice, the effect is even
more rapid.
• Other useful herb teas include juniper berries, echinacea, and, of course, that old
standby, slippery elm bark.
TREATMENT DURING THE REST OF THE TIME-
• Eat a nourishing diet. Include garlic and onions. Eat lightly.
• Avoid processed and junk food, and do not use nicotine, alcohol, or caffeine. Do not use
chocolate, fish, eggs, and other common allergenic foods. Avoid foods containing
additives.
• Avoid bananas and melons, especially if you are also sensitive to ragweed.
• Do not use milk products. You may be allergic to wheat products. Do not eat ice cream
or other cold liquids. Cold can shock the bronchial tubes into a spasm.
• Research has revealed that a fat-free diet can help reduce asthma attacks.
• Be sure and drink enough water. This vital fluid is greatly needed to keep your lungs and
bronchi free of thickened phlegm.
• Strictly adhere to the above diet.
• Learn to play a wind instrument, harmonica, or sing. Practice deep breathing when you
are out-of-doors. Have regular physical exercise. Hiking, swimming, etc. are good. You
need to build up your lung capacity and utilization. This will strengthen your entire
respiratory tract. A person at rest uses only 10% of his lung capacity; hard work increases
it to about 50%.
• Exhale forcefully through a small drinking straw into a large bottle of water. This forces
the bronchial tubes to expand somewhat and become larger.
• Some asthmatics have problems when they breathe too deeply. One way to minimize
exercise-induced asthma is to wear a mask that retains heat and moisture and limits the
effects of cold, dry air.
• Spend a few minutes each day practicing standing tall, expanding your chest, and
breathing deeply. Devise simple exercises (on the floor, against walls, etc.) which help
you do this.
• Move out to the country where the air is purer.
• Practice breathing through your nose rather than your mouth.
• Go on a juice fast, 3 days each month, of distilled water and lemon juice, to help clean
out the body of toxins and mucous.
• Reduce stress. Avoid worry and fear.
• Get a good vacuum cleaner and get rid of the dust and dust mites in your bed, cushions,
rugs, and floor. Avoid goose feathers (pillows and down coats). Dead cockroaches are
also known to produce a dust which can bring on an attack. House plants may contain
mold spores. Keep the bathroom clean of mold, also under the sinks.
• Eliminate things from the house which harbor dust: carpets, venetian blinds, draperies,
etc. Washable cotton curtains are all right. Avoid the use of electric fans; they stir up dust.
• Practice "sleep breathing." This is done by breathing slower and deeper than normal,
with a three second pause at the top of the inspiration and at the end of the expiration.
-Important: Also see "Hay Fever" and "Allergies."
HYDRO-Neutral Bath at bedtime, Hot Abdominal Pack, copious water drinking, Enema before
retiring, graduated Cold Baths, Renal Douche. Cold Colonic daily in cases of toxemia with dilated
colon. Correct any existing stomach disturbance. If skin is inactive, give sweating process, followed by a
cold bath of an appropriate form.