Newsmax Health | Dr. David Brownstein, M.D
Dr. David Brownstein, M.D., is a board-certified family physician and one of the nation’s foremost practitioners of holistic medicine. He is editor of Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health newsletter.
Dr. Brownstein has lectured internationally to physicians and others
about his success with natural hormones and nutritional therapies in
his practice. His books include Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do!; Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It; Salt Your Way To Health; The Miracle of Natural Hormones; Overcoming Arthritis, Overcoming Thyroid Disorders; The Guide to a Gluten-Free Diet; and The Guide to Healthy Eating.
He is the medical director of the Center for Holistic Medicine in West
Bloomfield, Mich., where he lives with his wife, Allison, and their
teenage daughters, Hailey and Jessica.
Dr. David Brownstein, M.D.
There
is no doubt in my mind that good hydration can have very positive
effects for those with asthma. One of the hallmarks of asthma is mucous
production that clogs the airways. What is the best known mucolytic
agent, something that breaks down mucous? The answer is easy — water. At
the first sign of wheezing, I tell my patients to drink an eight-ounce
glass of water mixed with ¼ teaspoon of unrefined salt.
This
combination of water and salt helps break down mucous and relax the
airways. Water helps break down and thin the mucous of the airways. Salt
(and only unrefined salt) contains minerals such as magnesium that are
very relaxing to the smooth muscles of the airways. When I start
wheezing the first thing I do is reach for the water-salt combination. I
have found that, if I ingest this combination early, I often overcome
the wheezing.
It
is very important, too, to be hydrated before participating in sporting
events. Many people with asthma experience wheezing with exertion. My
patients have had success drinking the saltwater mixture before
beginning an exercise regimen. Those who have to use an inhaler before
exercise often find they don’t need to use their inhaler as long as they
maintain good hydration. I play tennis every week and drinking the
saltwater mixture has removed my need for using an inhaler before I
play. In fact, I don’t even carry an inhaler with me.
Jay
is a 12-year-old soccer player. His mother started to notice that he
was having trouble keeping up during games. When she asked him what was
wrong, he told her his chest felt heavy. Jay went to an allergist, who
performed a pulmonary function test that diagnosed Jay with asthma. He
was prescribed a combination of inhalers and medications to help control
the symptoms. When Jay used the inhalers they caused his heart rate to
increase.
When I saw Jay, I asked him how much water he drank, and he replied, “I don’t like water. Maybe I drink one glass per day.”
I
told Jay that he would not get better unless drank more water. Since
Jay was interested in soccer, he agreed to try to drink more water. I
had him drink half his body weight (in ounces) of water per day and put ¼
teaspoon of unrefined salt in the bottle of water he took to soccer
practice.
The
first day, Jay felt the difference. “My chest did not hurt and I felt
like I could run all day,” he said. Jay now uses a rescue inhaler
infrequently and is doing well.Children are notoriously dehydrated. They
drink too much soda and juices and not enough water. I encourage all of
my pediatric patients to drink water as their primary source of
liquids.
Soda and juices dehydrate the body, and drinking them can promote asthma symptoms in those predisposed to it.
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