The Asthma Patient’s Secret: How Daily Small Doses of Alcohol Kept Symptoms at Bay for Decades – Ayurvedic Clinic Story

One late evening, as I was getting ready to leave the clinic an elderly couple walked in. The lady, plump and fair was 62 years old and her husband tall and handsome was 67 years. She introduced herself and told me that she was from Malnad.

She complained of joint pain. I did some initial examination and started advising about reducing a certain diet. 

She quietly turned towards her husband and asked him to step aside for a while. He obliged but stood in a way he could eavesdrop on our conversation. 

She lowered her voice and continued to speak. “Sir, I come from a very cold place, and my mother taught me the habit of drinking at the tender age of 16.  She was the one who gave me the baptism by the ‘spirit’ and told me the best way to keep myself warm was to down 30 ml of brandy every night before hitting the bed.  

She has been drinking since then and due to this, she developed liver cirrhosis. The quantity of consumption started with 30 ml and she slowly graduated to 60 ml and 90 ml, depending on the outside temperature!

I was intrigued by her confession more because she was married to a traditional family man. So, I asked, “Didn’t your husband object to your drinking habit?” 

She immediately retorted that her husband believes that she is taking medicine for her asthma problem. For over 46  years her husband had no clue that she was drinking alcohol every night. I was more puzzled to know how she managed to dupe him to this extent. She told me that she was actually drinking white rum for decades. 

If not the color of the spirit, at least the smell should have revealed the truth. I was in total awe of her ‘never-let-out-the-truth’ spirit.  

At that very moment, the door opened ajar and her husband came inside. He questioned her, “What have you been drinking all along?” She looked at him and answered in a serious tone, “Arre, you know I have asthma. I have been drinking medicine for this. We are married for over forty years and you still have a doubt?” He immediately mellowed down and smiled at her.  

Her main motive for meeting that day was to get medicines to sleep without consuming alcohol since the diagnosis confirmed liver cirrhosis. It was only a case of early liver cirrhosis!

I prescribed a few medicines and sent her. After they left the clinic, I continue to wonder, how could she possibly have duped her husband for over forty years. 

We have all heard stories of husbands taking mouth fresheners after downing a few drinks to dupe their wives. 

Could she have lit strongly flavored incense every night, just before she took the medicine for asthma?  Or could he be suffering from a rare condition of Anosmia which makes him oblivious to the smell of alcohol? 

I have no clue!

Please note that we do not promote or condone the consumption of alcohol as a treatment for any illness, including asthma. Alcoholism is a harmful behavior with serious health consequences and alcohol is not good for anyone. This is a cautionary tale and is not to be taken as medical advice.