Linking Mental and Respiratory Well-Being
Asthma is found more often in those with poor mental health

(HealthDay News) -- When a stressful period in your life has ended, you might tell a friend that now you can "breathe easy" or you "feel like you can breathe again."

There could be more truth in those expressions than you think.

Researchers from Brown University have found that there's a link between mental and respiratory health -- particularly asthma.

The finding could be critical for many. Asthma -- a chronic lung disease in which the airways are blocked or narrowed, causing breathing difficulty -- affects 20 million Americans, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Though there's no cure for asthma, people with the disorder can live healthy and active lives with proper management.

The Brown University researchers, led by Dr. Thomas Chun, an assistant professor of emergency medicine, collected data on 318,151 people in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

They found that people who said their mental health was poor or fair faced a 1.31 times greater risk for asthma than those who rated their mental health as good, very good or excellent.

Though experts aren't saying that one condition causes the other, Chun told HealthDay that a person with both asthma and mental health problems should be treated for both conditions.

"We found that any number of days of poor mental health was associated with currently having asthma," Chun said. "Even low levels of poor mental health were associated with an increased risk of currently having asthma."

The researchers also found a "dose-response" relationship between poor mental health and asthma. "The more days of poor mental health that a person reported, the greater their risk of currently having asthma," Chun said. Their study was reported in the journal Chest.

While experts continue to investigate the connection, those who have asthma can take steps to control their disease and learn more about maintaining their mental health.

To better control symptoms, asthma sufferers need to know what kind they have -- allergic or non-allergic asthma -- so they know what can trigger attacks, according to the foundation. Many symptoms are the same -- coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or chest tightness -- but allergic asthma is more common.

Allergic asthma is triggered by inhaling allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, pollens or mold. Non-allergic asthma is triggered by anxiety, stress, exercise, cold air, dry air, hyperventilation, smoke, viruses or other irritants.

Besides avoiding triggers, many people are helped by asthma medications. A variety exist, including ones that are inhaled and ones taken in pill form, and those that provide quick relief or those that offer long-term control.

People are advised to work with a doctor to develop a plan to control their specific asthma.

But what about asthmatics' mental health?

For some, that means managing stress, staying alert for burnout at work and exercising. For others, it can be much more serious.

According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, mental health problems can affect anyone, can be mild or severe, and can range from anxiety and bipolar disorders to depression, panic disorders and schizophrenia.

The treatments available include psychotherapy, medications -- traditional and alternative -- and even brain-stimulation therapies. Again, working with a doctor can help diagnose any problems and establish an individualized treatment plan.

On the Web

To learn more about asthma, visit the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

SOURCES: HealthDay News; Thomas Chun, M.D., assistant professor, emergency medicine, Brown University, Providence, R.I.; December 2008, Chest; Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (www.aafa.org)
Author: Dennis Thompson
Publication Date: Jan. 31, 2010
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