Use of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of asthma.

Complementary and alternative therapies are a growing part of our nation's health care and culture. The numbers of people using such forms of treatment are increasing, especially for patients with chronic diseases. There are an estimated 15 million prescription drug users nationwide who also use herbal medication. At the same time, asthma has increased in prevalence and severity, despite the increase in therapeutic options. Asthma patients and their parents may be interested in complementary medicine because of the long-term nature of their illness and perceived toxicities of therapies such as inhaled corticosteroids. Many alternative nutritional therapies are available in stores without a prescription, and this may also appeal to an adolescent's desire for independence. This article examines the phenomenon of alternative medicine, the possible reasons for its rising prevalence, and who may be using it. The emergence of increasing numbers of patients with asthma and the pathophysiology of this disease is discussed briefly. Finally, individual therapies with their proposed mechanism of action and known studies related to their use in asthma are examined.