Asthma can be a serious disease that requires medical management, not home remedies. But we mentioned in the first edition of "The People's Pharmacy®" that if you are caught without medicine, a couple of cups of strong coffee may help open airways.
We later heard from a young woman who forgot to take her asthma medicine with her on her honeymoon. A walk on the beach left her wheezing, but she remembered this remedy and it saved the day.
More recently, we heard from someone who was stuck at 30,000 feet on an airplane. The asthma medicine was packed in a carry-on bag that had been checked by the flight attendant. Coffee once again came to the rescue.
Two or three cups can provide short-term benefit. Caffeine is very similar to a tried-and-true asthma medicine called theophylline.
