4 asthma triggers you probably didn’t know about

Many know of the external factors that trigger asthma but only a few know that emotional stress can also trigger episodes of asthma. In fact, any extreme emotion may lead to an onset of asthma. These could be emotions of sadness or even excessive joy. This is why people suffering from asthma often try to contain their emotions.

Some of the uncommon emotional triggers of asthma include:

• Emotional events

In a single experiment, researchers measured a section of the lung and how it functions after showing people pictures depicting extreme emotions. It was proven that people in the study group who looked at the images of injuries, catastrophes, and sad events found it harder to breathe than others.

Later, the people from the same group were asked to rate their moods thrice a day. This experiment continued for three weeks. Here, the lung functioning was measured with the help of a peak flow meter. While the study was significantly small, it reflected that negative emotions could deteriorate the functioning of the lungs. Additionally, it was observed that it was even worse for asthmatic patients to endure over the long run.

• Stressful events

There have been many studies conducted which showed that severe life events were often associated with asthma attacks. Children and adults were admitted for asthma complications around the time they faced serious life issues. Additionally, it was also observed that everybody involved in the study, irrespective of them having asthma or not, reported having aggravated respiratory symptoms.

• Ongoing depression and panic attacks

It has also been observed that both anxiety and depression are a lot more commonly found in people who are affected by asthma. Patients who have a mental health disorder along with asthma may have no to little control over their asthma symptoms and frequent asthma attacks, Moreover, they are more likely to visit the emergency department.

In some cases, even panic attacks may be very tough to endure. They may be accompanied by asthma attacks and can be a sudden trigger to the symptoms.

• Severe depression

Sometimes, it is also tough to prevent asthma attacks if you have chronic stress. For instance, children who get stressed easily are more likely to have asthma attacks. In adults, when the patient is stressed, it could lead to a deteriorated quality of life. It has also been observed that patients who have stress hormones for a long time can suffer because of sensitive airways. These airways are more sensitive to pollutants, infections, and allergens.

Steps to take for reduction of stress and management of emotions

• Start by identifying the stress triggers and avoiding them
• Exercise regularly
• Go for breathing and relaxation techniques as often as possible
• Maintain a healthy and balanced diet
• Seek counseling or therapy for depression and anxiety