Most people don't like taking asthma medicine, even if they know it is helping them. I know I don't. After all, asthma medicine is expensive and it seems "unnatural" to put man-made chemicals into our bodies. Especially since so many medicines have side effects.

For those reasons, many of us look for "natural" alternatives to treating asthma. Unfortunately, so-called natural approaches don't really work, despite wild claims you may hear. But how are you to know what works and what doesn't?

Probably the best way is to visit our Alternative Medicine site here on About.com, where Cathy Wong cuts through the chaff to tell you what alternative treatments work best in relieving asthma symptoms. Cathy discusses special breathing techniques, use of supplements and more. She'll even teach you 5 Tips on Being a Smart Consumer, so that you don't get burned by some quack approach.

But I've also found a promising new website called RVita.com. I say "promising" because I don't think there's a whole lot there yet. But I do like how the site is set up and hopefully, over time, they're going to develop their content more. Their promotional materials say that they'll help in "separating the science from the snake oil." Key features on the site include:

• A basic overview of conditions and remedies (the asthma one was adequate)
• Tables comparing therapies' effectiveness, compiled using scientific data derived from Natural Standard (a leading resource in integrative medicine)
• Recommended treatments based on the experience of the site's medical advisers and consumers, expert reviews, blog posts, articles, links to trusted practitioners, practitioner Q&A, and the latest news

By using these tools, you can compare treatments , gather information, and make more informed decisions about alternative treatments. I'll monitor this site over time and give you more feedback. But, for now, it looks as though you may be able to use it as one tool to gather information.