Breathe Easy - Aloe Vera and Asthma

On average, 1 in 4 people of all age groups is affected with asthma. This condition can be frightening and it can force you to change the way you live in order to avoid attacks. If you have asthma, you may be on the hunt for anything that can help. Recent studies have shown that you may be able to use aloe vera to reduce your symptoms. Let's take a look at aloe vera and asthma and how you can breathe easy.

Asthma
Asthma is a lung condition that affects the airways, or bronchial tubes of your lungs. It causes the tissues that line your airways to swell and become narrow. Because of these actions, the symptoms associated with asthma can be coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. The major factors that contribute to asthma are inflammation of your airway lining, tightening of the muscle that wraps around your airways, known as bronchoconstriction, and or both. You may have increased mucous production due to your inflammed airways and this can worsen your already blocked airways. Simply put, asthma is an allergic reaction. It is your body's way of defending itself and can be triggered by allergies, emotions and stress.

Aloe Vera And Asthma
There are mainly 2 types of asthma medications which may be prescribed for long term control of asthma in addition to quick relief for the symptoms during an asthma attack. These are anti inflammation drugs and bronchodilators. Aloe vera is a natural anti inflammatory and contains natural steroids and other components that can inhibit or reduce inflammation. Studies in Japan have shown that some of the compounds in this plant can cause an increase in the removal of particles that may be asthma triggers. Aloe vera is also an immune regulator. It helps and restore your immune system to it's more natural resting state. This means that your immune system is still going to be effective when needed. But it can stop overreacting to harmless substances like pollen and grasses when it doesn't need to. Another component found in the aloe plant is acemannan. This is the trade name that researches have given to the mannose rich polysaccharide that has been extracted from the plant. This is extremely helpful in the fight against asthma. Researchers who have studied acemannan's effects on asthmatics have found that consuming aloe vera on a regular basis can be very beneficial as it can work as a preventive measure.

While it should be noted that the use of aloe vera will not be helpful during an asthma attack, it can effectively be seen as a long term preventive measure. Currently there is no known cure for asthma, but it is certainly treatable. If controlled properly, you can live an active and normal life.