How Stress Affects Your Asthma

Stress is hard enough on your body. When you have asthma, it's even harder.

Stress is an emotional state that triggers a cascade of reactions in the body. Your body gears itself to either run from the stressor or to fight it - a holdover from caveman days. Hormonal and chemical changes happen in the body, affecting blood pressure, diabetes and the immune system. Even though stress is emotional, asthma is not.

Stress does not cause asthma, but the body's response to stress can be one of many triggers for asthma attacks. People with asthma become short of breath, even though their airways are not blocked. This is because of changes in the body. Chemicals that are released during stress tell the nerves to tighten muscles around the airways, narrowing air tubes. Also, changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels can trigger a bronchospasm (a spasm of the bronchial muscles that constricts the air passages).

Stress also impacts the immune system, lowering the body's ability to fight off infection. If you get sick, you become more likely to have problems controlling your asthma.

Stress can also impact how you take your medications. Like everyone else who is stressed out, you may forget to take good care of yourself. You may not remember to take your medications and to do your peak flow readings.

There are very effective ways to help manage your stress - and your asthma in the process.

Here are some tips to de-stress your life:

• Reduce the causes of stress in your life. Look at what is causing your stress. Is it money issues, too many deadlines and obligations, or family problems? Identify them and decide how you can tackle these issues. Learn time management and how to set priorities. You may need a counselor to help you deal with some issues.
• Learn relaxation techniques. Practice deep breathing when you feel stressed. Learn yoga or tai chi, which can help your body relax.
• Change how you think about stress. Take a look at your expectations and how you perceive yourself.
• Try to get enough sleep, which can be affected by stress. Lack of sleep affects how you feel during the day. This can complicate how you deal with stress.

Asthma is a complicated disease to deal with. Effectively managing stress helps you better manage your asthma. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing stress or if you are having trouble controlling your asthma.

Source:

American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.