info on beating asthma

I've been on prescription meds for asthma for all of my life that I can remember. It's really well-managed and I haven't been hospitalized for it since I was a child. But I have to take inhalers every day. If I miss them, I go downhill fast. And they're expensive.

I like the thought of changing something in my lifestyle that makes my asthma better or gone. A few years back, I had considered getting hookworm but my wife was too grossed out. I tend to be pretty skeptical of stuff outside of western medicine, but I'd be interested in hearing from others on the topic.

I would see a Chinese practicioner to get needled, they use herbs too. Otherwise you can google acupressure + asthma, there are some relief points.
In Chinese medicine lungs has something to do with grief. What helps for a not so strong attack is strong coffee. And there is a really easy to grow herb ammi visnaga, but
it is less strong than the medication.

Here are some things for you to research:

Raw milk:
https://permies.com/t/44336/food-medicine/Raw-milk-study

Podcast 236 - Interview with Sally Fallon on Raw Milk:
https://permies.com/t/20430/permaculture-podcast/Podcast-Interview-Sally-Fallon-Raw

GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet recommended by Dr Natasha Campbell McBride to heal gut issues):
https://permies.com/t/16609/food-medicine/Asthma

Here's my personal experience:

My husband and I both have asthma; mine is environmentally induced, so as an adult I have avoided the triggers to avoid the attacks (mainly animal dander). My husband's was more like yours: and certainly more severe than mine, needing two different inhalers several times a day.

However, both of us had a drastic reduction in asthma symptoms when we changed our diet to paleo/primal. We actually switched to eating this way because of my husband's diabetes (incidentally he manages it with diet and one medication--not insulin--now), and have both had noticeable health benefits, asthma reduction being just one of them.

We don't follow any one plan, but here are the things we eliminated completely: wheat, soy, corn, vegetable oils. We also avoid: all other grains, potatoes, sugar. In addition, we added cream, butter, lard and other animal fats to our daily diet.

My husband uses his inhalers rarely now. Maybe a couple times a month. I still avoid my triggers, but in unavoidable situations--like visiting inlaws--I don't get any allergy or asthma symptoms. I'm not allergic to cats now!

I can't guarantee this will work for anyone else but it worked for us, and if nothing else, it can't hurt to try, right?

I think one thing is the amount of vitamin a (retinol) you are getting with cream, butter, lard and other animal fats, that in itself is incredibly helpful. Eating on the Wapf guidelines has helped me in so many ways. Takes a bit to find sources for some of the things they recommend having in your diet and takes time to learn how to make others (like rendering lard and fermenting veggies) but they aren't hard to do once you know how, and that you should. I love acupuncture, kicked a lot of bad habits with the help of a wise doctor.