Herbs for breathing

[Faye]

Does anyone know what I can grow and prepare for myself to help with lung function or breathing? I have some emphysema and will not go on Spireva like the doctor wants me to. I refuse to live my life on drugs with side effects as bad as the disease. I have some herbs in my garden and plan to expand it this fall and next spring.

[chloe3388]

Faye,

This is something my Dad uses, he has COPD. He really likes it and it seems to help.
http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?id=28&pid=1

Hope this helps..

chloe

[bookwormom]

what is COPD? My husband has trouble with phlegm in his chest periodically, like now. So he does not get much sleep and feels worn out. some things have helped him, some dramatically, but once people get better they quit doing what helped them and then it comes back, at times with a vengeance.
what really helped him several years ago was to stay on a diet where you do not eat carbs and protein together in the same meal. you either eat a carb meal or a protein meal. It is indeed a great diet with many benefits. somehow it balances the body's PH, but he is a meat and potatoes man and although I carefully observed him and was very happy with his improvement, he now poo poos the idea, ( i guess afraid of having to go back on the diet). another thing, inhaling 2% hydrogen peroxide several times a day.
Not everything works for everybody the same way, though. we are all different.
as for herbs, pointy leafed plantain is good for the lungs and loosens mucus. I was just going to get a really nice bunch for my husband and then I saw the dog lifting it's leg there.

[WileyCoyote]

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Hubby (a paramedic, AKA The Supreme Paramecium) says "COPD" means "I can't spell emphysema!"

Breakdown, and probably more than you wanted to know - the real problem with COPD'ers is not that they cannot inhale oxygen - it is that they cannot expel carbon dioxide. They cannot rid themselves of the CO2, and therefore cannot take in the O2. The process is usually interrupted by fluid in the alveoli (the little tiny crossover passages from air to blood in the lungs) that obstructs the interchange of O2 and CO2. There are actually exercises that can be done to help this - but not while the COPDer is experiencing immediate problems, and not when the disease is too far along. Several times a day they are encouraged to slowly inflate and deflate the lungs by inhaling thru the nose and expelling thru the mouth repetitively, expanding their diaphragm muscle as they do so. This causes the fluid to break loose from the alveoli and be coughed up, but it can help the air exchange - as long as the patient is not too far gone and the fluid has not 'hardened' or lost its viscosity. Other COPD's are asthma, chronic bronchitis, coal miner's disease, etc - all obstructive lung diseases.

The reason your hubby is tired is that he has a buildup of waste in his bloodstream - when you can't "blow off" CO2, which is part of the waste and byproduct of all life processes in the body, the muscles throughout the body become overloaded with the byproducts of even automatic muscle movements of heartbeat, digestion, etc. Any process that helps to eliminate body waste in other ways - lots of water to eliminate fluid, more vegetables and fiber than meats to encourage more solid waste production - is helpful but will not cure COPD. There is no cure for COPD - only treatments. Although I have heard that they have some success with lasering the alveoli gently to scrape off the hardened obstructions, this is still experimental and very expensive.

Wheezing and shortness of breath - make an infusion of 15 g of nettle and thyme to 750 ml of water and drink throughout the day; or make an infusion of chamomile 2 heaping tsp to 1 cup of water and steep for 10 mins in a covered pan, remove lid, inhale the steam, drink the tea. You can also use the chamomile strictly in a steam inhalation using its essential oil, or put several drops of the oil on a handkerchief for transportable inhalation.

For a tight chest and breathing difficulty - make a tincture of crampbark and take one tsp of tincture with water up to 8 times a day for 3 days, then reduce the dose to a maximum of 1 tsp three times a day for 7 days.

Echinacea tablets, capsules, or tincture 3 times a day is also supposed to be helpful for a sudden onset of bronchitis or any other breathing difficulty resulting from colds, flu, etc..

[chloe3388]

WileyCoyote, I am going to pass on your ideas to my Dad, he is always looking for something to help him. He has really gotten in to exercise and that is a big help. At 81 and still working full time, farming and a job as water superintendent he keeps on a going.

[annabella1]

The nightshade free diet I am on helps prevent inflamation. My problem is inflamation of the joints that leads to arthritis, but many people with asthma and COPD that is caused by inflamation have a great deal of relief with it too. The nightshades are to be avoided or preferably eliminated. They are tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers hot or sweet. (sweet potatoes are not nightshades, and the black pepper you use for seasoning is not a nightshade) Hope this helps. I also drink peppermint tea and breath the vapors produced if I get any congestion. Although I haven't had any congestion since I started preventing colds with vinegar.

[Faye]

Thanks for all the info. I did not know about the nightshades but tomatoes and potatoes are two of my favorite foods. I will try eliminating them and see what happens. Good info Wiley. Would that be 15g each of the nettle and thyme? I am not familiar with crampbark. Is that the only name for it?

[WileyCoyote]

Sorry, Faye - yes, 15 mg each.
Crampbark is also known as Guelder rose, Snowball Tree, May Rose, High Cranberry, Red Elder, Whitsun Bosses and Black Haw; Latin is Viburnum opulus of the Caprifoliaceae genus. (Black haw has a more specific action on uterine cramps.) Crampbark has maple-shaped leaves and bright red berries in autumn; however, the bark is collected in spring when it is in flower.

[Faye]

Thanks for the info, WileyCoyote.

[CarolAnn]

Cordyceps mushrooms are good. I hope I spelled that right - it's available as a supplement.

The Chinese olympic runners were accused of using sterioids, but tested clean - because they were able to adapt to high altitudes very quickly. Turns out they were eating (or taking supplements of) Cordyceps mushrooms.

http://oneearthherbs.squarespace.com/important-herbs/cordyceps-mushroom-cordyceps-sinensis.html

This is a quote from that website:
WHAT IT DOES: Cordyceps mushroom is sweet and bland in taste, and warming in action. *It strengthens immunity and fortifies and heals the lungs and kidneys.

I've used it in combination with other herbs for my asthma, but that combo was very expensive, and when I stopped taking it, the benefits also stopped. I haven't yet tried the mushroom exctract alone, but I intend to.

I don't know if you can grow them yourself, but it would be worth researching!!

[sage_morgan]

Mullein is a plant well-known for upper-respiratory problems. Verbascum thapsus. All the arial parts are used. The roots are used for incontinence.

I bet you'd be interested in all the info out there on mullein and chest complaints.

[journey149]

what is nettle

[bookwormom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle

this site had the best picture of stinging nettle (urtica dioica)

I remember verbascum being used but have no idea how.

However, I remember very well when I watched a programm on TV in Europe,years ago. On thrusdays there waas a programm dealing with alternative medicin. There was a fat lady giving her experience. she tried a separation diet that an American Dr. (Howard Hay) followed when he was deathly sick himself of kidney desease. His collegues told him to get his affairs in order. He read a report by an English Dr who was stationed in the Karakorum who was amazed at the fantastic health of the locals, (you may have heard of the Hunzas) they never needed his services and did heavy work up to very old age. He observed them closely and came to the conclusion that it was their diet that seemed to be the source of their good health. it was this selfsame separation diet and of course all natural and no junk. A Dr. in Germany (beat me with a stick, I can not remember his name) did research and discovered that it has quite an effect on balancing the ph level of the body. to make a long story short, the fat lady reported that not only had she lost lots of weight, but her asthma improved to the point she no longer needed medication. We tried it and my husband improved also. I stayed on it for months when I had a hard time walking due to pain in my feet, especially in the mornings. It took a while, but without anything else, the pain in my feet went away. Oh, and Dr. Howard got well, he died at age 75 when a car ran over him. I am surprised he is not well known in this country since he was from here and helped many people.

[rAcErRicK]

Hi Bookwormom, in regard to your mention of balancing the ph level in the human body: Google the word; CESIUM. :o

rick

[MelleeRN]

You can also use many different oils that you have pressed or acquired to enhance your respiratory system. And if you want a simple garlic and onion soup recipe to prevent illness, I can send it your way. Being new to this board just not to sure of where to post certain items that over hang on each other. Any way, with your respiratory system prevent of any type of respiratory system is the key to prevent you from becoming seriously ill.