When it comes to asthma treatment, there are many options available. Which one is right in your case depends largely on the severity and type of asthma that you suffer from. It also depends upon what kind of relief you're looking for. Conventional treatments generally only focus on prevention and control of symptoms, whereas some homeopathic treatments attempt to actually cure the disease.

At best, conventional medicine can offer long-term control. This generally means taking some kind of medication, usually by using an inhaler or taking a pill, on a daily basis. It's not a cure because if the medication stops being taken, then its effects wear off and symptoms immediately return. It may suppress the disease, but the disease still exists.

For asthma that is triggered by an allergy, conventional medicine offers the option of treating the allergy. If an allergy that triggers attacks is under control, then the attacks will stop. This can be done with nasal sprays, pills, and shots. If the allergy stops being treated, then attacks will probably start happening again, so this is not a cure either.

The other main option offered by conventional medicine is quick-relief medication. Usually in the form of an inhaler, but also sometimes taken orally, this is used only to alleviate symptoms in the short-term. It is often used only during an attack. Clearly, this is not meant to be a cure.

Homeopathic medicine, on the other hand, offers a bit more hope. The practice of homeopathy encompasses a variety of treatments from independent sources. Many of these types of treatments have not been evaluated by the FDA, though this does not necessarily mean that they won't be effective.

Similar to conventional answers, some homeopathic options for asthma are only meant to control or prevent symptoms. More often, however, the homeopathic approach is to treat the underlying cause. The idea is that by correcting the cause of the problem, the problem itself will go away for good. In essence, this would be a cure.

There are both benefits and risks to trying homeopathic remedies. One benefit is that they are generally all-natural and usually considered safe. If they work as they are supposed to, then an obvious benefit is the chance for an actual cure. The risk is that the effectiveness of homeopathy doesn't tend to be supported by scientific or clinical evidence. This doesn't mean that it won't work, but if you intend to give up conventional asthma treatment in order to try a homeopathic treatment, be careful. Make sure that you find a legitimate, reputable practitioner of homeopathy to provide your treatment, and if you suffer from a severe case, then it is best to act in concert with a conventional doctor who is familiar with your situation.

The best and only current hope of a cure for asthmatics probably comes from homeopathy. Conventional asthma treatment only aims to prevent or offer relief of symptoms. Choosing to go only with conventional options means giving up on the idea of ever being cured.