Asthma & Essential Oil Blends

Around the time my son was three he had what we thought was a chest infection.  An 'Alex the seal' cough and fever.  Hubby took him to the doctors, then phoned me saying he was coming home to collect me, that we needed to rush our son to the hospital because the 'chest infection' was actually an asthma attack.  Even though asthma runs in my family I'd had no actual dealings with anyone with asthma.  I had no idea he was having an asthma attack.  I felt guilty then for not knowing and for not doing anything about it.  At the hospital he was nebulized and after many hours was given the all clear to leave with us.

Recently our son woke in the middle of the night with his bad sounding cough and slight fever.  He had been sick, a cold picked up at childcare, which left his immune system compromised allowing asthma to set in.  It was the middle of the night, hubby was away, I was home alone with two children and didn't know what to do.  Should I rush him to the hospital?  How do I know if it's bad enough for that?  I couldn't tell?  I had given him his Ventolin which didn't seem to have helped much.  We were out of his preventer medicine because the doctors hadn't wanted to renew his prescription - something to do with them not being certain he actually had asthma (a different doctor).

Filled with panic and indecision I riffled through my essential oil books and found a blend that helped alleviate asthma.  I used the essential oil blend in an oil burner beside my sons bed and also made a chest rub with the same formula.  I spent most of the night sitting by his side monitoring his breathing and looking for signs that he wasn't going to be ok and that it might be time to call an ambulance.  By morning he was alive and well and his cough had settled down.  For the next two days I continued to use his puffer and the essential oil chest rub and oil burner until his asthma subsided.

The essential oil blend I used that night:
4 drops of cypress,
4 drops of lavender and
2 drops of benzoin essential oils in an oil burner and in a chest rub - diluted in 10ml olive oil and applied to chest, back and a dabbed under his nose.

Another essential oil blend I've tried is: 4 drops frankincense, 3 drops chamomile and 3 drops benzoin essential oils.

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A note of warning: if your child is having an extreme asthma attack don't rely on this essential oil blend only.  It won't cure asthma or stop a severe attack.  Watch for signs and call and ambulance if necessary.