So, trying to find a solution for my son’s illness induced asthma was the main reason I started using essential oils. Maybe you too can relate to this. My son would be perfectly fine, no asthma or anything. And then when he would get sick he would start to wheeze and even start to turn blue.
I took him to the doctor multiple times and even to the emergency room once. And all they would give me was an oral steroid that would make him so hyper he would run circles around the room all night instead of sleeping at all. And a nebulizer treatment that would just make both of us cough.
I just knew, as a pharmacist and a mom, that there had to be something natural. That would not have all of these side effects. But would still help my little guy with his illness induced asthma. And I found essential oils and a few other options for him, that worked great! Keep reading to learn what we used (and still use for him, even though he is now twelve) to stop the asthma.
First We Start With Peppermint
Peppermint is the first oil that I ever tried. And it was for my little mister to help him with his sickness induced asthma. I was introduced to oils from a fellow pharmacy friend. And she said to try peppermint on my son. So instead of giving him the medication when I heard the wheezing in his chest. I applied peppermint. You definitely need to dilute peppermint because it is a “hot oil” which just means it could cause some skin sensitivity.
So what I did was make a roller ball bottle with peppermint diluted with coconut oil. Then I would roll on my son’s chest every single time I heard the raspy breathing going on. I could tell right away if a cold was going to his chest. So instead of waiting for a doctor’s appointment. I would just apply the peppermint. And he was usually good to go the next day. And no hyper side effects. That is what I love the most about it. Because it was not that the medicine did not work, it was that the side effects were so awful for him. Go here if you want to read about other great uses for peppermint essential oil!
This really just opened my eyes to what essential oils could do, and I knew that I had found out a way to help my baby. So I started with peppermint for my son. Then we did find another essential oil that helped him also with his sickness induced asthma.
Next, We Used Respiratory Blend
My son and I found that peppermint just worked really well for him, to keep that raspy feeling out of his chest. But eventually, he started to not like the smell of peppermint as well. It was still working, he just wanted to change it up a little bit. So I found respiratory blend for him to try.
Respiratory blend is a blend of essential oils that is specifically made for respiratory problems and asthma type problems. It has lots of essential oils in it including Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Melaleuca, Lemon, and Cardamom. So it has that peppermint in there, but it does not have as much as just the peppermint by itself. We use it just like we do the peppermint essential oil. I make sure the respiratory blend is diluted, and then I put it in a roller ball bottle. And I roll on my son’s chest when he is sounding wheezy. Usually at night so the essential oils can work through the night for him.
There are a couple other natural options for illness induced asthma, not just essential oils. I tend to use all of the remedies because I want my son better as soon as possible.
Using A Humidifier
This was also something we always had for my son as soon as he started getting raspy in his chest. We actually had a humidifier that we had gotten from the hospital when he was born. And that thing was awesome. It put out so much mist into the air. But if you did not get one of these from the hospital, then any cool mist humidifier would be fine. There are also warm mist humidifiers out there, but I always say to stay away from those because there is a chance you (or your kiddo) could get burned. This is a good cool mist humidifier to get!
So what we do is run the humidifier in my son’s room for about 5 minutes with the door closed. And then I have him go to bed with the humidifier still going. The room has so much mist in it, you would think he is in the rain forest. But that loosens up his chest, and with doing that and using essential oils. He is usually good to go the next morning.
Cold Air or Warm Air
If you are in a bind with your kiddo and they are sounding super wheezy. Put the oils on. But also either do cold air or warm air. What I would do with my son is take him outside for a few minutes if it was cold. This takes the inflammation out of the lungs pretty quick so he would breathe. If this is not your idea of fun, or it is not cold out. Warm air can also help.
What I would do to get my son in warm air is turn on the shower very hot, and then shut the door while the shower ran. Then I would take my son into the bathroom, where the hot shower had been going for a bit. And just sit on the floor with him for five to ten minutes. Doing that, combined with the essential oils, really helps get the inflammation from the illness induced asthma under control
These two options are also something to keep in mind if your kiddo gets croup. Which is basically the lungs just getting inflamed really quick in littler kids, since their lungs are little and their bronchial tubes are narrower. So either the cold air or the warm air are two things that help that croup right away also.
I know how scary illness induced asthma can be, so keep these natural solutions in mind the next time your kiddo (or you) has this!
Vanessa is a Doctor of Pharmacy who champions natural health. She lives with her husband of 18 years as well as her 12 & 15 year old sons. She aspires to encourage moms on their journey to family wellness through holistic health and essential oils.
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