Asthma and Complementary Health Practices

On this page:

• Key Points
• About Asthma
• Complementary Health Practices Used for Asthma
• What the Science Says About Complementary Health Practices and Asthma
• NCCAM-Funded Research
• If You Are Considering Complementary Health Practices for Asthma
• Selected References
• For More Information

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects people of all ages. It causes episodes of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Although there is no cure, most people with asthma are able to manage the disease with medications and behavioral changes.

Researchers also are studying various complementary health approaches for asthma relief. This fact sheet provides basic information about asthma, summarizes scientific research on the effectiveness and safety of complementary health practices for asthma, and suggests sources for additional information.

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Key Points

• Conventional medical treatments are very effective for managing asthma symptoms. See your health care provider to discuss a comprehensive medical treatment plan for your asthma.
• There is not enough evidence to support the use of any complementary health practices for the relief of asthma.

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About Asthma

In asthma, the airways that carry air into and out of the lungs become irritated, inflamed, and narrowed. The muscles around the airways tighten and the cells in the airway produce more mucus than normal. This makes it difficult for air to flow into and out of the lungs and causes wheezing, shortness of breath, and other symptoms.

More than 24 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma, including approximately 7 million children. It is not known why some people develop asthma, but the tendency runs in families and the chance of having the disease appears to be increasing, especially among children.

Conventional treatment for asthma focuses on preventing attacks and relieving symptoms once an attack is underway. Prevention may include avoiding “asthma triggers” (the things that can set off or worsen symptoms) or taking medicine every day to prevent symptoms.

Once an asthma attack is underway, quick-relief medications may be used to relax muscles around the airways and open up airways so air can flow through them. Prevention techniques are generally preferred over quick-relief medications.

For more information about asthma, visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Web site.

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Complementary Health Practices Used for Asthma

Most people are able to control their asthma with conventional therapies and by avoiding the substances that can set off asthma attacks. Even so, some people turn to complementary health practices in their efforts to relieve symptoms. According to the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included a comprehensive survey of the use of complementary health practices by Americans, asthma ranked 13th as a condition prompting use of complementary health approaches by adults; 1.1 percent of respondents (an estimated 788,000 adults) said they had used a complementary therapy for asthma in the past year. In the 2007 NHIS survey, which included adults and children, asthma ranked eighth among conditions prompting use of complementary health practices by children, but did not appear in a similar ranking for adults.

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What the Science Says About Complementary Health Practices and Asthma

According to reviewers who have assessed the research, there is not enough evidence to support the use of any complementary health practices for the relief of asthma.

• There have been several studies that have looked at acupunctureA family of procedures that originated in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles though the skin. It is intended to remove blockages in the flow of qi and restore and maintain health. —stimulation of specific points on the body with thin metal needles—for asthma. Although a few studies showed some reduction in medication use and improvements in symptoms and quality of life, the majority showed no difference between active acupuncture and sham acupuncture on asthma symptoms. At this point, there is little evidence that acupuncture is an effective treatment for asthma.
• There has been renewed patient interest in breathing exercises or retraining to reduce hyperventilation, regulate breathing, and achieve a better balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood. A review of seven randomized controlled trials found a trend toward improvement in symptoms with breathing techniques but not enough evidence for firm conclusions.
• A 2011 study examined the placebo response in patients with chronic asthma and found that patients receiving placebo treatments (i.e., placebo inhaler and sham acupuncture) reported significant improvement in symptoms such as chest tightness and perception of difficulty breathing. However, lung function did not improve in these patients. This is an important distinction because although the patients felt better, their risk for potentially serious or life-threatening consequences of untreated asthma was not lessened.

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NCCAM-Funded Research

NCCAM is currently funding studies to determine whether:

• Mindfulness meditationA conscious mental process using certain techniques—such as focusing attention or maintaining a specific posture—to suspend the stream of thoughts and relax the body and mind. practices might help manage symptoms or improve quality of life for people with asthma
• Vitamin E might reduce lung inflammation in mice and humans with allergic asthma
• Borage oil or Ginkgo biloba might reduce airway inflammation
• Vitamin C and vitamin E might reduce asthmatic response to allergens
• Under-the-tongue (sublingual) immunotherapy might build tolerance to substances that trigger allergic asthma.

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If You Are Considering Complementary Health Practices for Asthma

• Conventional medical treatments are very effective for managing asthma symptoms. See your health care provider to discuss a comprehensive medical treatment plan for your asthma. Do not use any complementary health practices as a reason to postpone seeing your health care provider about asthma-like symptoms or any medical problem. Do not replace scientifically proven treatments for asthma with unproven treatments.
• If you are considering dietary supplementA product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs. s, keep in mind that they can act in the same way as drugs. They can cause medical problems if not used correctly or if used in large amounts, and some may interact with medications you take. Your health care provider can advise you. If you are pregnant or nursing a child, or if you are considering giving a child a dietary supplement, it is especially important to consult your or your child’s health care provider. To learn more, see the NCCAM fact sheet Using Dietary Supplements Wisely.
• Tell all your health care providers about any complementary health practices you use or are considering. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care. For tips about talking with your health care providers about complementary and alternative medicineA group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. , see NCCAM’s Time to Talk campaign.

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Selected References

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Health Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Asthma. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment no. 91. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2004. AHRQ publication no. 04–E013–2.
• Arnold E, Clark CE, Lasserson TJ, et al. Herbal interventions for chronic asthma in adults and children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008;(1):CD005989. Accessed at www.thecochranelibrary.com on March 14, 2012.
• Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. CDC National Health Statistics Report #12. 2008.
• Barnes PM, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. CDC Advance Data Report #343. 2004.
• Berdnikovs S, Abdala-Valencia H, McCary C, et al. Isoforms of vitamin E have opposing immunoregulatory functions during inflammation by regulating leukocyte recruitment. The Journal of Immunology. 2009;182(7):4395–4405.
• Hayes M, Buckley D, Judkins DZ, et al. Clinical inquiries. Are any alternative therapies effective in treating asthma? Journal of Family Practice. 2007;56(5):385–387.
• Holloway EA, Ram FSF. Breathing exercises for asthma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2004;(1):CD001277 [edited 2009]. Accessed at www.thecochranelibrary.com on March 14, 2012.
• Huang YJ, Nelson CE, Brodie EL, et al. Airway microbiota and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with suboptimally controlled asthma. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2011;127(2):372–381.
• Kaur B, Rowe BH, Arnold E. Vitamin C supplementation for asthma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009;(1):CD000993 [edited 2010]. Accessed at www.thecochranelibrary.com on March 14, 2012.
• Kazaks AG, Uriu-Adams JY, Albertson TE, et al. Effect of oral magnesium supplementation on measures of airway resistance and subjective assessment of asthma control and quality of life in men and women with mild to moderate asthma: a randomized placebo controlled trial. Journal of Asthma. 2010;47(1):83–92.
• Li X-M, Brown L. Efficacy and mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicines for treating asthma and allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2009;123(2):297–306.
• McCarney RW, Linde K, Lasserson TJ. Homeopathy for chronic asthma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2004;(1):CD000353 [edited 2008]. Accessed at www.thecochranelibrary.com on March 14, 2012.
• Passalacqua G, Bousquet PJ, Carlsen KH, et al. ARIA update: I—Systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine for rhinitis and asthma. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2006;117(5):1054–1062.
• What Is Asthma? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Web site. Accessed at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_WhatIs.html on March 19, 2012.
• Wiser J, Alexis NE, Jiang Q, et al. In vivo gamma-tocopherol supplementation decreases systemic oxidative stress and cytokine responses of human monocytes in normal and asthmatic subjects. Free Radical Biology & Medicine. 2008;45(1):40–49.

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