Q. I am an international flight attendant. I was pleased to read in your column that coffee might be used for asthma in an emergency.
I think we have some kind of asthma medication in our enhanced medical kit, but just in case I now know we can use coffee as a backup plan.
A. There is some controversy about how effective caffeine is to open airways. A methodical review of the medical literature concluded that it can “improve lung function for up to four hours” (Cochrane Summaries, Oct. 5, 2011). When nothing else is available, a couple of cups of strong coffee might help.
The People's Perspective on Medicine