Stress induced asthma is real and can be triggered by emotional stress and tension.
While an asthma attack can be provoked by such things as pollen, dust, temperature, having a cold or the flu or even exercise, you can also have an attack when you are feeling stressed and tense!
The more upset you become, the more likely you are to provoke an asthma attack.
The key to relieving the signs and symptoms of asthma caused by stress is to use good stress management and relaxation techniques...
Stress and emotional arousal are associated with an increase in respiratory rate.
When you feel threatened, your Sympathetic Nervous System responds rapidly to mobilize your body’s defense mechanism.
This increases your heart rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation, perspiration, cardiac blood flow, and your breathing becomes faster.
Adrenaline is produced, and this stimulates your heart and other organs to help defend your body.stress induced asthma Stressful situations change our respiratory rates.
Stress Induced Asthma and Emotions
Our emotions influence our respiratory systems.
Emotional arousal and psychological stress has been shown to increase breathing rate and breathing irregularity.
Asthma can be triggered by situations that cause strong emotional reactions such as guilt, anger and loosing a loved one.
In the early 1900’s asthma was recognized as a psychosomatic illness. Psychosomatic illness is an illness that has developed due to mind and emotion issues that have not been dealt with.
In particular, asthma was considered to be a problem relationship with the mother and her child. Many studies have been done since to examine the affects of stress on asthma.
Some people feel that their first asthma attack occurred due to an emotional life event, such as a death in the family and the process of mourning.
Other experiences (that people find trigger asthma attacks) include martial difficulties, problems in the work place, and worries about finance, sexual conflicts, and the illness of a loved one.
What Causes Asthma?
Daily stressful life events and asthma symptoms are positively correlated. It is true that emotional stress is linked to asthma. Many people report an emotional stress, just before having an attack.
Stress factors are important to consider, but they do not necessary cause asthma.
Situations that are perceived by one person to be stressful may be considered a welcomed challenge by another.
A person’s reaction to stressors depends on their attitudes and how they perceive and react to the situation.
If a person believes they are not in control of the situation it might provoke feelings of anxiety and panic, which could result in stress induced asthma.
For many, the triggers that set off an asthma attack are different:
Allergies to weeds or flowers
Dust
Animals or pets
While stress induced asthma can be a factor, there are other contributing factors to asthma attacks. While asthma can be debilitating, it does not have to be. Nor do you have to stay on asthma medicine for the rest of your life, risking the physical illnesses that result from the medication’s side effects.