Drug-Free Alternatives To CPAP For Asthma

If you do not qualify for CPAP (yet, although the rules are likely to change in the next year or two) and you don't want to take more and more medication, try these methods for strengthening your lungs to reduce your symptoms. None of these methods will allow you to throw your inhaler away, but all of them may make living with asthma just a little easier.

• Try Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy, made by Theravent Inc.. Provent looks a little like tiny bandages to place over each nostril. A valve in the middle of each of the devices produces air pressure that keeps the throat open. A month's supply costs about $70, and maybe covered by medical insurance (usually after you have met your deductible for the year). Discuss the use of this device with your doctor first.
• Use the Buteyko breathing device daily. This inexpensive device (some versions cost less than US $20) helps build up breathing capacity and reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. The device really works. The only problem is that it is rare for people to have the self-discipline to use it every day. Used faithfully, however, Buteyko can also help lower blood pressure.
• Learn to play the didgeridoo. In case you're saying "Learn to play the didgeri-what?" the didgeridoo is a musical instrument of the aboriginal peoples of Australia. Traditionally made from bamboo or eucalyptus, the didgeridoo consists of a hollow pipe 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) tall. Producing a sound requires continuous air pressure, and learning to fill the instrument with a continuous stream of air enables some players to fill their lungs with a continuous stream of air during sleep.
• Lose weight. The less your belly fat presses down on your lungs, the easier it is to breathe. A BMI greater than 35 (being more than about 30% overweight) aggravates both asthma and sleep apnea, and losing weight sometimes works wonders.

See Also: What's New In Asthma Treatment?

As this article is being written, non-smokers between the ages of 15 to 60 with history of asthma are being south at 19 centers across the US, including: University of Arizona at Tucson, University of California, San Diego, National Jewish Health (Colorado), Nemours Children Clinic (Florida), University of Miami, University of South Florida (Tampa, FL), Illinois Consortium: Northwestern University, St. Vincent’s Health (Indiana), LSU Health Science Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine (Missouri), New York Medical College, New York City Consortium, North Shore-LIJ Medical Center (NY), Duke University Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Baylor College of Medicine (Texas), Northern New England Consortium (Vermont), and University of Virginia.  Call the American Lung Association at 1-800-586-4872 for more information on how to apply to participate in the clinical trial.