Asthma: Why Caffeine Can Make it Worse

Asthma is the result of reversible narrowing or constricting of the airways, also known as bronchoconstriction in medical terms, which causes difficulty in breathing. This may occur due to various reasons like a response to a trigger or an allergen. While some suffer from allergic asthma, others may be afflicted with non-allergic asthma. Although symptoms may differ in individuals, common symptoms include wheezing, tightness in the chest, production of mucus, breathlessness and consistent coughing.

Drug treatment for asthma includes administration of bronchodilators and corticosteroids. However, care must be taken to use the medication under the strict supervision of your doctor since each individual calls for a different approach and dosage. Other ways to control the condition are making modifications in your daily diet. Restricting your salt and caffeine intake greatly reduces the risks of asthma attacks. On the other hand, including fish oils in your diet can prove to be beneficial if you have asthma.

It is advisable for asthmatics to avoid caffeine as it stimulates your adrenal glands to produce stress hormones like norepinephrine and epinephrine. The uncontrolled production of these chemicals eventually, pushes your body into a state of chronic stress.

The body responds to stress by exhibiting adverse reactions like tensed muscles, high levels of blood sugar, increased heart rate as well as respiratory rate. Opposed to the common misbelief that people have regarding black and green tea and decaffeinated coffee, the truth remains that even they contain caffeine in significant proportions. So it is best to avoid them and stick to other alternatives including herbal teas like chamomile, mint or ginseng tea or coffee alternatives like soyfee.

Many asthmatics who have kicked the caffeine habit have noticed significant improvement in their health. Especially in cases of exercise induced asthma, it had been observed that reducing your intake of caffeine greatly reduces the risks of asthma attacks.

For those people who are easily susceptible to asthma, it is strongly recommended to avoid any drugs belonging to the caffeine group. A widely prevalent belief is that consumption of caffeine is beneficial for the functioning of the lungs and improves breathing, especially in asthmatics but the truth is that drugs like theophylline, which have properties similar to that of caffeine and are commonly used to treat asthma, only aggravates the condition.

Drugs like these which fall into the category of caffeine or have attributes similar to that of caffeine may worsen the asthma over a long period of time by leading to a state of dependence. Studies reveal that although in the initial stages caffeine has a tendency to reduce the intensity of headaches, however in the long rum, it is known to produce rebound headaches when the caffeine levels start to diminish. People with asthma are also advised to avoid caffeine or any other substances possessing similar properties to caffeine. Visit www.TruthAboutCaffeine.com for more info.