My doctor said I have significant air restriction in my lungs. I've never used an inhaler before and I'm a little afraid of them. It's basically steroids, right?

What can I do naturally to improve my lung capacity and to counter any problems from the inhaler. I know I need it right now, but I'd like to wean off it, if possible.

I've had chronic asthma since childhood, been in research studies with UCSF, been on all sorts of meds since I was a toddler, so here's what I've learned over the years:

There are two major physiological causes of asthma - 1) restriction of the airways due to constriction and 2) inflammation of the tissue itself.

A "combination" inhaler like Advair takes two modern drugs, Serevent and Flovent, and uses these (only one is a steroid, if memory serves) to mitigate and control these two different, distinct physiological causes.

With appropriate dosing, I'm told there isn't a big risk of cumulative steroid damage (at least, that's what I'm told). But neither drug (nor the combo, of course) is intended for 'emergency' use - when you're really in trouble and unable to get a full breath.

For that you need albuterol or proventil (same drug) as a 'rescue' inhaler - and if you don't do that, you'll have serious, serious problems.

I have yet to discover an alternative, natural course of action that completely addresses either the constrictive restriction or the inflammation as thoroughly as Advair.