Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine for Asthma, Allergies
Asthma and allergies involve abnormal production of immunoglobulin E antibodies, according to Western researchers. A simplified model of the immune response includes two parts, Th1 inflammatory and Th2 antibody. Allergic disorders appear to be “too much Th2,”while inflammatory disorders appear to be “too much Th1.” There are many Western drugs that suppress the immune system by a variety of mechanisms, but it has been a challenge to modulate the relative strength of Th1 and Th2 responses without too much overall immune suppression.
In a recent review article, a team from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine reported that herbal formulas from Chinese Traditional Medicine may do a better job of balancing the function of the immune system.
Chinese herbs are used either alone or in combination with standard (Western) medicine. Clinical trials have shown positive results for five Chinese herbal formulations in treating asthma:
1. Anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention (ASHMI), formula with three herbs. This is the only one that has been tested alone in the U.S.
2. Modified Mai Men Dong Tang (mMMDT), with five herbs. When added to standard asthma therapy, this formula improved lung function, compared to standard asthma therapy plus placebo.
3. Ding Chuan Tang (DCT), with nine herbs. This formula improved airway stability as an add-on therapy.
4. STA-1, with 10 herbs. This is a combination of mMMDT and Lui-Wei-Di-Huang Wan (LWDHW). Patients used less standard asthma medication and had improved symptoms with this formula.
5. Sophora flavescens Ait. This herb alone reduced the need for inhaled corticosteroids and beta-agonists.
ASHMI has been the best studied. In trials comparing this formula with prednisone, both treatments produced significant improvement in lung function for patients with asthma. The prednisone group had slightly better lung function than the ASHMI group, but gained 2.8 kg over four weeks of treatment. The ASHMI group had a much smaller weight gain of 0.8 kg. In addition, prednisone suppressed serum cortisol levels in asthmatic patients who had cortisol below normal to start with.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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