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A common myth is that children with asthma have a major psychological problem that causes their asthma. Emotional factors are not the cause of asthma; however, emotional stress can infrequently trigger asthma. A child’s asthma might only be noticeable after crying, laughing or yelling in response to an emotional situation. These normal “emotional” responses involve deep rapid breathing, which in turn can trigger asthma, as it does after running. Emotional stress itself (anxiety, frustration, anger) also can trigger asthma, but the asthmatic condition precedes the emotional stress. Therefore, a child’s asthma is not “in his or her head,” as many people believe. Emotions are associated with asthma for another reason. Many children with asthma suffer from severe anxiety and fear during an episode as a result of the suffocation produced by asthma. The anxiety and panic can then produce rapid breathing or hyperventilation, which further triggers the asthma. During an episode, anxiety and panic should be controlled as much as possible. Parents should remain calm, encourage the child to relax and breathe easily and give appropriate medications. A child’s treatment should be aimed at controlling the asthma. When asthma is controlled, emotional stress will be reduced and other emotional factors can then be dealt with more effectively. Any chronic illness, especially if uncontrolled, can have associated secondary psychological problems. More severe psychological problems require a specialist to help the child and his or her family. The important things to remember are that asthma is 1) an inflammatory condition of the airways caused by allergens, irritants and respiratory infections, 2) triggered by many different stimuli (trigger factors) that activate an over-reactive airway system, and 3) reversible and controllable (with only a few rare exceptions). For more information or to bring asthma training to your community, please contact the American Lung Association at 800.LUNG.USA or reach our local office at 714.835.5864. For more information or to bring an Exercise and Asthma Training program to your community, please contact the American Lung Association at 800.LUNG.USA or your local office at 714.835.5864. |
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