Alternative/Complementary Medicine: 
Much of the modern day
pharmacy is heavily based on naturally occurring substances. Aspirin's origins come from
Willow bark, and Atropine from belladonna found in nightshade and many plants. The benefits that have been
discovered from plants are almost incalculable, however, so are the dangers!
Herbs in their natural state
cannot be used as a source of drugs. In this form they contain hundreds of other substances, which potentially have adverse side effects. There is a large amount of
controversy associated with herbal remedies. In general the
companies producing them have to undergo less stringent safety checks in
comparison to the synthetic drug companies. It is also the case that in some companies
selling herbal supplements, use bias self-serving articles, and
other unsubstantial claims to cure and treat aliments.
Listed below are a couple of
the more widely accepted herbs used to treat asthma:
bayberry sage
bloodroot eucalyptus
garlic cayenne
peppermint chickweed
Asthma
sufferers in places such as Jamaica also smoke cannabis, or drink cannabis tea
at the onset of an attack! The chemicals in cannabis works in a similar way to
much of the more conventional treatment by relaxing smooth muscle in the lungs,
as well as having other effects!
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