Loading ...An asthma attack is most often regarded as a physical problem. Sufferers often describe symptoms such as chest tightness, coughing, and an increased effort to breathe. Yet asthma also has an emotional side. The sufferer often experiences frustration with and the fear of what could happen if there are other attacks.
Asthma, at its worst, can be a life-threatening condition. This can increase levels of anxiety, leading to episodes of panic, which, in turn, can trigger an asthma attack. Anxiety, resentment and despair are common emotions felt by asthma sufferers.
For centuries, many people assumed an asthma attack was caused by stressful situations or emotional problems. This led to a stigma being attached to the condition and there grew a stereotype of the asthmatic being a mousy, fearful person, forever wheezing and coughing.
Breathing is obviously tied in with emotion. Have you noticed how we gasp with fear when viewing a scary movie, and take short breaths if we are engrossed in the latest action movie. We catch our breath if something startles us. Laughing and crying involve the expression of emotion and they both involve a change in our normal patterns of breathing.
Constant stress can gradually constrict your airways. Some people suffer their initial bought with asthma at a very emotional time, like the death of a close relative. In cases like this, the person was probably already susceptible to asthma and the traumatic event and stress brought on the attack.
What a person believes can also influence their asthma. Experiments have revealed that sufferers of asthma can produce and decrease asthma attacks using the power of suggestion. Just as Pavlov’s dogs salivated to the sound of a bell, asthma patients can suffer attacks if they have been told they have inhaled an allergen when they had not. Results also showed that they experienced relief if they believe they are taking a reliever drug though the substance they had taken provided no medical effects.
This power of suggestion may explain why some people’s symptoms get worse if they just see an object that triggers their asthma. It may also explain why some feel they cannot be without their inhaler.
The cause of asthma is not in the mind. It is in the genes and airways. But it seems that the mind can make the condition better or worse.
Studies have shown that asthma attacks can have a connection to panic disorder – panic attacks that are recurring. This connection seems stronger in smokers than non-smokers, and in women than in men.
It has also been found that the children of mothers prone to symptoms of panic and depression are at an increased risk of developing similar symptoms.
Research may one day lead to treatment that can control or prevent symptoms of asthma. Meanwhile, it is known that certain relaxation techniques can help control asthma that is triggered by emotional events.
For more information on the emotional issues and treatment for panic symptoms, visit this site.