Lobelia Herb C/S (India)

Botanical Name: Lobielia inflate

Lobelia is a plant. The above ground parts are used to make medicine.

Lobelia is used for breathing problems including asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, and shortness of breath (apnea) in newborn infants. Some people take lobelia as a sedative to help them relax. Other people use it to increase sweating.

Lobelia is applied to the skin for muscle pain, joint lumps associated with rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatic nodules), bruises, sprains, insect bites, poison ivy, and ringworm.

In manufacturing, lobelia is used in cough preparations and counterirritant products. Some stop-smoking products around the world include lobelia as an ingredient.

Lobelia contains chemicals that might thin mucus (phlegm) to make it easier to cough up (expectorate) and help breathing, especially in people with asthma. One chemical in lobelia has actions similar to nicotine.