Asthma

Magnesium deficiency can be seen in people who have severe asthma. Furthermore, magnesium levels are lower in people with asthma than in people who do not have the disease.

Researchers think that a lack of magnesium causes calcium to build up in the muscles lining the airways of the lungs. As a result, the airways constrict and breathing becomes more difficult. People with severe asthma are sometimes given a magnesium sulfate inhaler to help relax and expand their airways. Injections are the preferred method of delivery for patients with life-threatening symptoms. The evidence on the effectiveness of dietary magnesium supplements in people with asthma, on the other hand, is equivocal.