Fats, Vitamins and Minerals

ASTHMA

Asthma is characterized by periodic attacks of difficulty breathing. Each attack begins abruptly, occurring frequently at night, waking the patient from his sleep. He has to sit up and is totally preoccupied with his efforts to breathe. Very noticeable are the retractions that his chest wall and cat-cry-like sounds (wheezing) on breathing out.

Asthma often begins in childhood and may remain in life. The disease is not contagious but may be inherited.

The following are the more common causes of asthma attacks:

- Inhalation of dust, kapok, pollen, chicken feathers or hair of cats or dogs
- Food such as shrimps, crabs and chocolates
- Changes of weather
- Colds and other respiratory infections
- Fatigue
- Emotional stress

Prevention:

- Avoid the factors triggering the attacks
- Always keep the surroundings clean
- have a change of environment if the triggering factor is traced to this
- Avoid smoking

Treatment:

- Avoid the causative factors
- Loosen secretions in the same way as treating cough
- Use any of the suggested medicinal plants
- If unimproved after the use of one dose of the medicinal plant, consult a physician
- For severe attacks consult a physician right away

MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR ASTHMA

Plant material: LAGUNDI leaves

Preparation:
Amount of chopped leaves needed:
Adult: 4 tbsp (dried) or 6 tbsp (fresh)
7-12 years: 2 tbsp (dried) or 3 tbsp (fresh)
2-6 years: 1 tbsp (dried) or 1 1/2 tbsp (fresh)

Boil the needed amount of leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes or until 1 glass of liquid is left. Cool and strain.

Direction for use:
Divide the decoction into 3 parts. Take 1 part 3 times a day.

Plant material: TALUMPUNAY flower or leaves

Preparation:
Make a cigarette out of a dried flower or 2 small dried leaves.

Direction for us:
Smoke the talumpunay cigarettes.
Precautions: Do not use more than 1 cigarette in 6 hours.
Talumpunay may be habit forming. Its use should be limited to adults.

Preparation:
Burn a dried flower or 2 small leaves.

Direction for us:
Inhale the smoke.

EMail This Post This entry was posted by Fortun on Saturday, August 25th, 2007 at 12:17 am and is filed under Fortuns Urban Gardening > Guide to Medicinal Plants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.