aromatherapy diffuser?

[Sofia T]

could anyone recommend a diffuser but not pricy please?
My 3y daughter used to have a lot of breathing issues, pneumonia last year, and had to use the nebulizer last winter. I took her out of pulmicort a few months ago and is doing ok. I 'm trying to avoid the use of albuterol, steroids etc, so I was thinking that if I put a diffuser with essential oils in her room, might prevent colds and help in general. Does any of you have any experience?
I was thinking to put some thieves oil, lavender or eucalyptus. Is this right?
Thanks

[Pat]

I believe that your choices of aroma therapy are beneficial. :-) I don't have a diffuser though.

You could use sterile normal saline for the nebulizer, as needed for any cough. It must not have any preservatives. (Never put a homemade saline solution into a nebulizer.) You can order the single dose sterile normal saline vials online. Here is one source, of many. http://mednet-store.stores.yahoo.net/hud20039.html

Since asthma can have a sudden onset and be life threatening, I believe having the albuterol prescription available is prudent.

Here is my list of other alternatives to prevent asthma. Warning, I am evangelical about Classical Homeopathy, lol.

We use classical homeopathy and this has basically cured my husband's asthma. Dh was on benedryl, proventil every four hours and claritin and advair daily, due to allergy induced asthma. He is highly allergic to all air borne pollen: all tree, grass, weed, mold, dust, mites, cat dander pollen, etc. He couldn't be outside for about 6-9 months of the year due to red, runny eyes and sneezing and wheezing and serious asthma.

Eliminating these allergens is important, especially in the bedroom. Obviously, some of them can't be eliminated and he would have asthma issues each spring and fall. However, since being on classical homeopathic remedy for four years he hasn't had any asthma in over three years. None. And he no longer takes the benedryl or proventil. Now he never has these issues and only uses Claritin sporadically and the Advair daily. And no more asthma!

We use large doses of vitamin C and Sambucol (for Kids or Adults) which has echinecea (some asthmatics have problems with echinecea). Hydration and humidification (with an aseptically clean humidifier) help to decrease mucus production during colds/flus. A key issue is to identify any dairy or soy allergies and eliminate them. Because these allergens combine to cause severe mucus production when the immune system is under assault of colds/flus.

I have not researched NAET or TAT; but I have heard that they have also been found to help allergies and subsequent asthma.

We don't vaccinate. We support our immune systems, rather than artificially assault them. Originally, I might add, the vaccines were tested on healthy adults and subsequent small studies on healthy children. I don't know the actual number of asthmatic children that the vaccines have been experimented on. Most conclusions about safety and efficacy for compromised patient populations are extrapolated from "post marketing research". Which means our children.

You might try the new nasal wash X-clear. It only has water, xylitol, saline and grapefruit seed extract. The xylitol is a natural antibacterial, and the grapefruit seed extract is a natural anti-inflammatory.

I assume that you are keeping the windows and door to the bedroom closed to keep out allergens and consider a HEPA air filter. And no stuffed animals except for a bedtime lovey which is washed frequently. Eucyliptus helps to open the nasal passages, but does interfere with homeopathic remedies. Vit. C decreases runny noses, in large doses.


This is an old post of mine about preventing asthma:

1. Decrease allergens, especially food allergens. (dairy, soy, wheat, eggs are the most common)

2. Keep bedroom allergen free with HEPA filter. (no pets, limited stuffed animals, door closed at all times, plastic cover on mattress, vacuum daily)

3. Vitamin C mega doses (I can't proscribe, of course) I give ds 1000mg, 3x day with first sniffles. He is 1/3 my weight, so I give him 1/3 the adult dose.

4. Sambucol for Kids (intensive dose, tsp 4x/da) caution with asthmatics some are allergic to echinecea.

5. Consider classical homeopathy, NAET, TAT as alternative therapies. Investigate now. (Homeopathy cured my husband and friend's asthma and resolved many of our son's food intolerances.)

6. Avoid steroids like the plague.

7. (We are a totally non-vaccinating family, thumbs down to flu shots)

[Pat]

8. Humidifier, scrupulously clean, set up in her room for sniffles. Clean daily.

9. Avoid antibiotics like the plague.

10. Avoid benedryl-dries mucus membranes

11. Avoid allergy shots

12. Consider saline nebulization instead of albuterol for loosening secretions, requires physician order. Doesn't cause the jittery feeling and doesn't taste as bad.

13. Consider steroid inhaler for prophalaxis, year round (medical model)

Oh, and dh was severely allergic to cats, we only had one outdoor cat and now we have 5 which sleep on our bed!

And another friend's daughter was scheduled for tubes to be inserted in her ears until classical homeopathy finally cured what 5 rounds of antibiotics couldn't. She was just 8 months old.

We have always just purchased a top of the line HEPA air cleaner from Sears. That way we know they'll have the filters available long term. We have two of these:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03285254000P?vName=Health+...

And we bought this vacuum cleaner. It is rated as a "best buy" by Consumer Reports. It has a HEPA filter built in:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02035922000P?keyword=kenmo...

And for a mattress cover, we bought what they have at Walmart. It is sorta paper-cloth and keeps dust mites out. Get them for the pillows also. They are washable.


HTH, Pat

[Terri Wilson]

I do not know if this is the correct way. It seems to work though. If this is all wrong someone please let me know. I have a few glass spice jars that I saved. I cleaned them very well in the dishwasher. I bought some reeds from target that were not part of a set. I add the oil in the jar and throw in a couple of the reeds. Very cheap.

[Sofia T]

which oil? there are thousands of them. It is cheap indeed. Does it work when one is sick or do you use it for prevention? Apologies for my poor english, I understand almost everything but is hard to find the proper words ...
thank you

[Sofia T]

wow, so much info... thanks so much for all of this advise.
Now you're in trouble, I'm coming back with more questions, since I'm new to all this and you seem an expert. My english is poor, I can understand almost everything but I can't express myself.. please forgive my mistakes.
I believe in classical homeopathy too, I'm learning every day. I know about stuffed animals and the enviroment... I'm trying to keep her in a good diet, avoid sugars, a lot of fibers etc.
1) I learned about vaccines recently, after my little girl had all the shots so far, unfortunately. Never been vaccinated for allergies. She had the allergies test a couple of months ago and the results were very good, I would say mild to a few seasonal pollens. She drinks goats milk, eats yogurt and cheese, nuts etc. and doesn't have any problems. I mean she didn't have any reaction or astma attack for months. Could she still be allergic to these foods since she hasn't had any problem?
The problems start when she gets a virus or cold, during winter time.
2) I use albuterol only when she has an attack and nothing on a regular basis. Is this how I should use the saline, I mean when she has breathing problem or should I start now, I mean on a daily basis, to prevent the worst?
thank you, thank you, thank you