These Essential Oils for Asthma Helped One Woman Ditch Her Inhalers

Four prescription breathing medications were costing Sue Nelson more than $300 a month. But when she accidentally lost her rescue inhaler, she discovered an affordable, natural and effective asthma remedy that was like a breath of fresh air! Read on to learn the essential oils for asthma that worked for Sue, and which can be used for seasonal allergies.

The cost of having asthma

Sue Nelson had just finished giving her house a deep cleaning when, Oh, no! Where’s my inhaler? she panicked. I must have accidentally thrown it out. What if I have an asthma attack?

For nearly 30 years, the Kansas City, Missouri, grandmother had suffered with severe asthma. Everything from household cleaners, pollen, mold, scented candles, exercise and a host of other unknown triggers could leave her wheezing, coughing and struggling to breathe. Allergy season, which, in her area, lasted from early spring to late fall, was especially difficult.

Sue used two inhalers — a maintenance and a rescue — to cope, and also took two oral medications to control her symptoms. But it was her rescue inhaler, the one she had lost while cleaning, that provided her with the most peace of mind. Now, she’d have to shell out more than $400 to replace it at full cost or wait three weeks until her next refill, when insurance would cover a portion. Already, her combined medications cost her more than $300 out of pocket each month.

“Essential oils can be a really effective part of a natural treatment plan for asthma.”

—Dr. Josh Axe

If only there was something I could use in its place, she mused. Something natural.

Essential oils had worked for Sue in the past, like the peppermint essential oil she’d used to calm her stomach during chemotherapy. It had also helped her with arthritis pain and even with her dog’s anxiety. Could essential oils help my asthma symptoms? Sue wondered.

Finding the right essential oils for asthma

Sue did some research and was excited to find studies indicating many essential oils, like lavender, myrtle, eucalyptus and peppermint, had been linked to a reduction of inflammation in airways, as well as helping muscles in the windpipe relax, promoting normal breathing.

After searching online, Sue found an essential oil combo of peppermint, myrtle and eucalyptus, called Young Living Breathe Again Roll-On (Buy at Amazon, $35 for 10 ml., which lasts a couple of months depending on use) and had a bottle overnighted to her. The moment it arrived, she dabbed it on her wrists and took in a few deep breaths.

Wow, she marveled, instantly feeling her airways open up. Sue began inhaling the fragrant aroma before any activity she knew could expose her to a potential trigger. She’d also rub a few drops on her chest at the first twinge of tightness or coughing. Within a week, Sue was astounded when she and her husband made their way up their steep driveway after a walk, and she didn’t feel any tightness in her chest like she always had in the past.

Impressed, Sue decided to experiment further and began using the oil for maintenance too. And by the time her inhaler prescription could be refilled, she didn’t need them. She hadn’t had a single asthma attack! But would it still work as the seasons change? Sue wondered.

Sue took her grandkids to the park, enjoyed long walks with her husband and didn’t experience any coughing or breathing problems.

After three months of using the essential oil, Sue was breathing so easily that she was able to stop taking her oral asthma medicines, assuring her doctor she’d go back on them if she experienced any breathing issues.

Today, a year on, the 54-year-old remains prescription-free and continues to use essential oils to manage her asthma. “I’m feeling so great and confident! ” Sue cheers. “I’m saving over $300 per month using an all-natural remedy and feel better than I have in years — mentally and physically! ”

Note: Always check with your doctor before stopping any prescription medication or discontinuing asthma inhalers.

Best Essential Oils for Fall Allergies

Beat a cold with pine essential oils

A powerful anti-inflammatory and antiseptic, pine heals irritated sinus tissue to ease symptoms fast, says James F. Balch. M.D., author of Prescription for Natural Cures. To do: Pour 2 cups of hot water into a pot and add 3 drops of pine essential oil; lean over the pot, draping a towel over your head, then inhale the trapped steam for 10 minutes. Do twice a day. Try: SVA ORGANICS Pine Needle Essential Oil (Buy at Amazon, $17)

Heal skin with myrrh essential oil

Tight, itchy skin that cracks and bleeds (xerosis) can flare when the weather cools. But myrrh reduces inflammation by 30 percent to speed healing and boost moisture retention, say researchers in the Journal of Immunotoxicology. Mix 1 drop of the earthy oil into a dollop of unscented lotion and apply to skin before bed. Try: Edens Garden Myrrh Essential Oil (Buy at Amazon, $18)

Perk up with bergamot essential oil

Shorter days can trigger sluggishness, but inhaling the aroma of bergamot revs energizing brain waves in 15 minutes, say British scientists. For an effortless boost, place 2 drops of bergamot oil on a cold light bulb, then turn on the light to infuse the room. Try: Gya Labs Bergamot Essential Oil (Buy at Amazon, $10)