Suffering from asthma? Yoga to the rescue!

The Cochrane Review suggests that yoga may have a beneficial effect on symptoms and quality of life in people with asthma.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Here's a sigh of relief for for those who suffer from asthma! A new study suggests that Yoga may be beneficial to an extent for people suffering from asthma as it can patients breathe better.

The Cochrane Review, an international healthcare not-for-profit organisation, suggested that yoga may have a beneficial effect on symptoms and quality of life in people with asthma, but effects on lung function and medication use are uncertain.

The review summarised the results of randomised trials and found evidence that practicing yoga might be able to improve asthma quality of life and symptoms to some extent.

However, researchers also warned that more detailed studies with more participants would be needed to draw any firm conclusions about the effects of yoga.

Lead author Dr Zuyao Yang from the Chinese University of Hong Kong said the findings suggest that yoga exercise may lead to small improvements in asthma quality of life and symptoms.

Yang, however, added that it is unclear whether yoga has a consistent impact on lung function and we don't yet know if yoga can reduce people's medication usage, or if there are any side-effects of yoga for people with asthma.

Deputy Co-ordinating Editor of the Cochrane Airways Group, Rebecca Normansell, added, "The findings of this Cochrane Review will help people make more informed choices about their future treatment options."

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways in the lungs. Asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness, are common in an asthmatic attack. While there is no prevent asthma, it can be controlled with proper treatment.

The review has been published in the Cochrane Library today.

(With Agencies input)