This is one of those "I would see an herbalist about" things, because there's a bunch of different root causes for lung issues - herbalism and naturopathic medicine treats (as I'm sure you know) based on cause, not on effect, so where allopathic medicine says "Oh, lung issues, here, try this inhaler." the process is more complicated for the naturopathic stuff.
In my case, my herbalist noted liver and kidney issues which combine to reduce energy circulation to the lungs and lead to stagnation issues. The end result is that if I get a cold, I do some combinations of things (I usually go heavy on the thyme) to kill the infection, and also start taking pleurisy root for the coughing. And we do some other stuff in the fall to help avoid issues at the time I usually have the most problems (fall pollen allergies + mold allergies make the fall the worst for me until the first hard frost or two.)
Pleurisy root is my friend: it's named for exactly the kind of cough I get (moist and gunky in the bottom of the lungs, dry and a bit hacking as it gets up to the throat.) I only take it if I'm getting a cold or if I'm getting over one: I stop adding it in to my regular herbalist blend once I stop coughing. It clears up the cough much faster, and means my lungs never get as miserable and tight and messed up.
(This cold I got in November was nasty - but even with it, I was able to do substantial walking the first week after I got over the bulk of the rest of the cold, and I've been coughing but not miserable since. I'm almost over the coughing, now.)
The other one we've used - mostly to help with allergies - is mullein, which I think helps discourage the allergic response and inflammation, and so can help help sidestep asthma issues that way, too.
The regular herbalist blend I take is mostly focused on boosting the liver and kidney healing, and on fixing some of the hormonal issues. The first part also helps the lungs, though as a sort of secondary effect (less stress on the body = lungs less likely to panic.)
My steroid issues aren't so much the weight (though I'm pretty sure it didn't help other metabolic issues) but the fact I've had psychotropic effects (specifically, fast-cycling mood swings if I'm on them for more than 3-4 weeks) on every one we've tried me on, which is most of the milder ones. My sister has the same problem, and has had good luck on Singulair, but really, I don't want to test it if I don't have to.
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Date: 2008-12-25 02:37 am (UTC)In my case, my herbalist noted liver and kidney issues which combine to reduce energy circulation to the lungs and lead to stagnation issues. The end result is that if I get a cold, I do some combinations of things (I usually go heavy on the thyme) to kill the infection, and also start taking pleurisy root for the coughing. And we do some other stuff in the fall to help avoid issues at the time I usually have the most problems (fall pollen allergies + mold allergies make the fall the worst for me until the first hard frost or two.)
Pleurisy root is my friend: it's named for exactly the kind of cough I get (moist and gunky in the bottom of the lungs, dry and a bit hacking as it gets up to the throat.) I only take it if I'm getting a cold or if I'm getting over one: I stop adding it in to my regular herbalist blend once I stop coughing. It clears up the cough much faster, and means my lungs never get as miserable and tight and messed up.
(This cold I got in November was nasty - but even with it, I was able to do substantial walking the first week after I got over the bulk of the rest of the cold, and I've been coughing but not miserable since. I'm almost over the coughing, now.)
The other one we've used - mostly to help with allergies - is mullein, which I think helps discourage the allergic response and inflammation, and so can help help sidestep asthma issues that way, too.
The regular herbalist blend I take is mostly focused on boosting the liver and kidney healing, and on fixing some of the hormonal issues. The first part also helps the lungs, though as a sort of secondary effect (less stress on the body = lungs less likely to panic.)
My steroid issues aren't so much the weight (though I'm pretty sure it didn't help other metabolic issues) but the fact I've had psychotropic effects (specifically, fast-cycling mood swings if I'm on them for more than 3-4 weeks) on every one we've tried me on, which is most of the milder ones. My sister has the same problem, and has had good luck on Singulair, but really, I don't want to test it if I don't have to.