Natural cures for asthma and allergies in children are often sought by parents who are tired of pumping their children full of medications, steroids and other chemicals that have an amazing range of side effects.  Asthma affects millions of people.  The attacks can be mild, moderate, severe or life threatening.

There is a distinction between allergies and asthma in adults and children.  During allergies and hay fever attacks the sufferer has difficulty with allergic rhinitis or sneezing, congestions, runny and itchy nose.  An allergic rhinitis reaction may be either seasonal or perennial.  Although allergies can precipitate an asthmatic attack it isn’t necessarily the case.

Most allergies present themselves as symptoms in the head, sinus or nose.  However, when the allergic reaction moves into the chest with angioedema and constriction it comes under the associated name of asthma.  One of every six Americans has some type of allergy.  Many of these allergies are triggered by pollen, weeds, grasses, as are asthmatic attacks.

Almost 40% of children in the US miss some school each year due to allergies.  Complications from these allergies can lead to nasal polyps or sinus cavity infections.

There are natural cures for asthma and allergies in children that help to decrease the severity and number of the attacks.  Some use hydrogen peroxide in the humidifier or medication aerosolizer.  Others use stress reducers to decrease emotional stress and therefore a potent asthma trigger.

Some of the current brand names of medications used to treat asthma include Pulmicort, Beclovent, Flovent, Ventolin, Serevent, Slo-Bid, and Prednisone.  They all come with side effects with a wide range of severity and variety.  Some can cause facial edema, nausea, nasal irritation, dry mouth, delayed growth in children, infection, osteoporosis, cough and wheezing, headache, permanent loss of smell or taste, pneumonia, rash, cardiac complications, increased risk of glaucoma, psychotic reactions, liver dysfunction and worsening diabetes.

Before beginning any new routine of medication or natural treatments you must consult you doctor.  There are many natural remedies that interact with other medications you may already be taking.  Natural remedies, although thought of as distinct from chemically produced medications, are actually chemicals themselves that interact with the foods you eat, the environment in which you live and the other medications you ingest or use on your skin.

A medication interaction can lessen, increase or completely change the way in which your body reacts to either of the medications.  So before getting into trouble with potentially life-threatening side effects ask your doctor or pharmacist to approve the natural cure for asthma and allergies in children.

After you have researched the natural remedies you may want to use you should stock up on the products before the symptoms appear.  Asthma attacks are often worse at night although the asthma type might not be nocturnal asthma.  Stores are closed and over the counter relief is hard to find.  Doctors are charging large fees for calls at night and the emergency room is not cheap.  If you can stop the attack early you will save your child medication administration, yourself cost and the worry of a potentially life-threatening event.