Coffee is a popular drink consumed worldwide. The estimated worldwide coffee consumption is around 2.25 billion cups a day. About 64% of the United States citizens drink coffee.
This percentage does not include energy drinks and other caffeinated drinks consumption. Out of the United States population, 25 million people have asthma.
Among the 25 million people, many are adults and, they consume coffee or at least other caffeinated drinks. This analysis leaves the question. Does coffee have any effect on asthma? This article talks about the effect of coffee on asthma.
Coffee Effect on Asthmatic People
Positive Effects
Coffee contains high amounts of caffeine compared to other beverages. Caffeine plays a huge role when it comes to the effects of coffee on asthma. Its contents include a stimulant that is known as trimethylxanthine. Trimethylxanthine acts as a stimulant to the heart and brain. It is the reason why your heart beats fast after taking too much coffee.
Caffeine is similar to a drug known as theophylline. Theophylline is a drug for asthmatic people to relieve asthma symptoms. When you take theophylline, it relaxes the muscles of the lungs, opening them up and allowing air to flow through. Theophylline is effective in treating wheezing and chest pain that is related to asthmatic symptoms.
People with asthma mainly take two types of drugs. They are long-term and quick-relief medications. The long-term prevent inflammation of airways muscles while the quick-relief medications like the name suggest are emergency drugs for immediate effect.
Coffee is beneficial to asthma. Caffeine in coffee acts as a bronchodilator. A bronchodilator is an asthma medication. It plays a similar role to theophylline. Bronchodilator relaxes the muscles allowing the passage of air through the lungs. This promotes easy breathing. Coffee, however, is weak compared to bronchodilators. It can play a similar role as a bronchodilator, but you will need to take a lot to achieve bronchodilator effects.
Studies show that you will have to drink 4 to 8 cups of coffee in a short timeframe to achieve the bronchodilator effect. This can be harmful to your health. Too much caffeine is not good for your health. For mild asthma, if you drink 1 to 2 cups a day, it will help you breathe more easily and prevent future asthma attacks. The cups of coffee won’t affect your condition.
Negative Effects
If you are suffering from gastroesophageal disease and asthma, drinking coffee will worsen asthma and GERD symptoms. It is best to avoid coffee if you’re suffering from the conditions.
Drinking too much coffee is also not healthy for your body. Too much coffee causes rapid and irregular heartbeat, anxiety, loss of sleep, high blood pressure, and dehydration. Therefore, only drink the required amount of coffee to remain healthy.
Recommendations
Usually, people with asthma take a pulmonary test. The test is necessary to check your breathing and the capability of your lungs to provide oxygen to your body. This test is affected by coffee consumption and can interfere with the results. Therefore, avoid coffee before taking the test for proper medication. False results will lead to improper medication.
Taking coffee is a natural way to reduce future asthma attacks. However, this does not mean you get rid of your inhaler if you have one. Caffeine may not be enough to provide relief for some asthmatic people.
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