Bronchodilators relieve asthma symptoms by relaxing the muscle bands that tighten around the airways. This quickly dilates the airways, and makes it easier to breathe. It also helps to clear mucus from the lungs because as the airways open mucus moves more freely and can be coughed out more easily.

These drugs can be administered in different ways. These include a metered dose inhaler, dry powder inhaler, or a nebulizer, or taken orally, either in pill or liquid form. Most or all of these asthma drugs can be expected to cause increasing health problems with long-term use. The worldwide asthma statistics clearly show the inadequacy of this drug-based medical approach.

In the 1980’s New Zealand had the highest rate of asthma deaths in the world. This figure was drastically reduced when in 1991 the inhaler drug Fenoterol was banned. Other studies revealed that asthmatics who used more than one bronchodilator inhaler a month had a fifty-fold increased risk of suffering a fatal asthma attack. More recently (March 8 2006) a Fox News release carried this headline: New labels on asthma drugs Advair and Serevent warn patients that the drugs "may increase the risk of asthma-related death." 

More “benign” side effects of inhaled bronchodilators include: palpitations, rapid heart beat, nervousness, light-headedness, dizziness and tremors. Inhaled steroids can also cause yeast infections (which are a main cause of asthma). There are numerous other potential side effects with the inhalers. The World Today on April 13 2004 reports on research from the US, which suggests one of the best-known treatments for asthma, Ventolin, may in fact make the condition worse.

None of the medical asthma drugs in any way stops or improves the underlying disease process. It is also well known that the regular use of steroid inhalers makes it more difficult for the body to fight infections. In addition, NSAIDs also suppress bone repair and remodeling. Studies showed that these drugs significantly inhibited matrix synthesis and had toxic effects on cartilage metabolism. The more "puffs" taken each day, the greater the rate of bone loss.
In May 2006 it was confirmed that high rates of inhaled corticosteroids not only increase the rate of fractures but also trigger atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia. This sharply increases the risk of heart failure and stroke.

Finally, in the latest analysis at Cornell and Stanford universities on 33,826 patients up to 80 percent of asthma-related deaths in the US have been attributed to asthma inhalers with long-acting beta-agonists. The researchers say although these medications relieve asthma symptoms, they also promote bronchial inflammation and sensitivity reactions without warning.

DR. CRAIG’S COMMENTS:
My take on all of this is that medical asthma treatment is both ineffective and highly dangerous. Just because western medicine fails at finding and correcting the cause of your health condition, or that of your child, only means that there is nothing more they can do for you. If you have asthma or if you are a parent of a child with asthma I strongly urge you to investigate a new form of treatment called the BAX3000 by BioVeda Technologies (www.biovedaofeastcentennial.com). Asthma, like many other conditions, is not something that you have to learn to live with. Please, give the “Gift of Health” holiday certificate to someone who needs it!

Speak Up and Educate Others,

Dr. Craig Burns

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