Alternative Treatment Options for Pediatric Asthma

According to The New York Times and ALT Medicine (About.com), if common treatment options don't work for your child, there are alternatives, such as:

1. Avoid Processed Foods
If you know your child has food allergies that can bring on attacks, it is important to avoid them completely. Food filled with preservatives and other chemicals can also bring on attacks, so if this is the case, organic foods may be the best option for your child.

2. Reduce Stress, Practice Relaxation
If your child's attacks are triggered by stress, make sure you go over some relaxation techniques with them such as: meditation, acupuncture, relaxed breathing techniques, and/or massage therapy.

A. Meditation
Is simply a state of relaxation and going into deep thought over a subject or certain subjects.

B. Acupuncture
Is a method used to alleviate pain by inserting needles into specific areas on the skin.

C. Relaxed Breathing Techniques
These techniques are used to teach patients how to control their breathing and stay relaxed.
(i.e. Buteyko Breathing Method)

D. Massage Therapy
Is soft tissue manipulation that helps a patient relax.

3. Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation
Magnesium has been shown to relax the smooth muscles of the bronchial and reduce the body's histamine response which causes airway inflammation. Vitamin B6 has been shown, when taken twice daily, to reduce the severity and frequency of asthma attacks. Vitamin B-12 can help block the allergenic effects of sulfites which are commonly found in foods and in the environment and are known to trigger asthma attacks.

4. Breathing Exercises
Learning breathing techniques can help your child to remain in control of his or her breathing during and after an asthma attack. Breathing exercises help your child avoid hyperventilating.

5. Probiotics
Are bacterias that can help protect against allergies and asthma. These can be found in active yogurt and in certain supplements.