Twenty million Americans -- one out of every 15 U.S. citizens -- are living with asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Asthma is a chronic respiratory illness that frequently produces excess mucus in the lungs and sinuses, making breathing difficult. Asthmatics have asked whether drinking milk and eating other dairy products increases the production of this mucus. Research indicates that drinking milk increases mucus production only if an asthma patient is already allergic to cow's milk. Other asthma patients can safely ingest milk and dairy products.
Asthma Origins
Asthma is a long-term medical condition that causes you to experience on-again, off-again breathing problems because your lungs and sinuses are abnormally sensitive to allergens and irritants, including mold, dust, chemicals and smoke. The first symptoms usually appear in childhood, but some people develop asthma as adults. The illness has a genetic component and is often inherited from a parent. Asthma is often associated with other medical conditions such as sinus headaches, allergies and migraines.
Asthma Mucus Production
When you have an asthma attack, your lungs are affected by asthma triggers -- irritants and allergens you have breathed in, including mold spores, dust mites or paint molecules. The cells lining the walls of your lungs react to the triggers by becoming inflamed and swelling, making it difficult for air to enter and leave your lungs, so that you have trouble breathing and may start wheezing or coughing. The muscles around your lungs tighten up, further narrowing your airways. Finally, the cells in your lungs start secreting mucus, a thick, sticky liquid, blocking incoming and exiting air. Most asthma patients learn to manage the illness and lead normal lives through using a combination of medication in the form of pills and inhalers, and avoiding asthma triggers.
Cow's Milk Allergy
A 2005 report, produced by the Swiss Federal Research Station for Animal Production and Dairy Products in Berne, noted that the belief that milk and dairy products aggravate asthma dates back to the 12th century. The authors of the report examined multiple studies from different countries in which asthmatics were given milk and other dairy products and did not suffer asthma attacks. The authors found several documented cases in which people who were allergic to cow's milk suffered asthma attacks after consuming milk, but this condition is not typical of most asthma patients.
Milk Allergy
A Food and Drug Administration booklet, "Food Allergies: Reducing the Risks," lists milk as a cause of allergic attacks that can mimic asthma symptoms. If you believe that an allergy to cow's milk and other dairy products is causing or worsening your asthma attacks, you should consult a physician who is an allergy specialist. A National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases report, "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States" provides information on obtaining appropriate food allergy testing and medical care.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Asthma
- Food and Drug Administration Consumer Health Information; Food Allergies -- Reducing the Risks; January 2009
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Asthma Facts and Figures
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Milk Consumption Does Not Lead to Mucus Production or Occurrence of Asthma; Brunello Wüthrich, M.D., et al.; December 2005
- Sinus Headaches, Allergies, Asthma, and Migraine: More Than a Casual Relationship?; Roger K. Cady, M.D.; November 2008
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States
