The Connection Between Asthma And The Mind: A Close Duo
Researchers often wonder if there is a connection between asthma and the mind; or rather, what exactly it is. In the daily life of a sick person, it is actually quite easy to notice that connection. There is an even clearer link between stress, anxiety and an asthma attack. However, the scientific findings in this regard are not entirely clear.
Is there a real connection between asthma and the mind? Or is it just rumor? A few decades ago, people still believed in the idea of how the feelings that affect asthma were mere speculation. However, thanks to scientific progress, we now know that this connection is indisputable.
Science defines asthma as a chronic disease characterized by an inflammatory condition and airway obstruction. It is the most widespread chronic childhood disease.
It is estimated that at least 60% of asthma cases are in children. Many of the triggers for asthma are definitely psychological. The connection between asthma and the mind is therefore indisputable.
The relationship between asthma and the mind
Dr. Zofel Marx and his colleagues conducted a study on asthma patients to determine if their emotions actually triggered an asthma attack. The study consisted of comparing the feelings of healthy people with those of people with asthma in order to find out possible differences.
In the end, it was concluded that asthma sufferers had a more hostile attitude and experienced a greater sense of helplessness and were sadder than healthy. To prove it, the researchers exposed both groups to different stimuli to observe their reactions. The mental difficulties they perceived may have been just one of the effects of asthma, not its cause.
In any case, other studies supported these findings. They proved that up to 50% of people with asthma also suffered from depressive symptoms. Similarly, people with such symptoms also experienced anxiety and had more asthma attacks as well as doctor visits. Antidepressants also reduce asthma symptoms.
A neuroscience breakthrough
A study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that there is a clear link between asthma and the mind. This study led to the conclusion that asthmatic processes are associated with two areas of the brain that are closely related to emotions: the anterior plexus of the brain and the islet of the brain.
The director of this study, Professor Richard Davidson, used magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate it. He started the study with a group of six volunteers with asthma and gave them substances that make the disease worse.
Observing the volunteers ’brains, Davidson found that the stimulus was activated in both the anterior pliers of the brain and the cerebral islet. As we mentioned earlier, these areas are strongly related to emotion. Although he published his research, it is still not the final result, as it was done with a very small group of people.
Research into the link between asthma and the mind continues
Science has already discovered a connection between asthma and the mind. However, we do not yet know the extent of this connection or the exact mechanism that regulates it. However, it is clear that psychological factors are crucial in this disease. Depression or anxiety can definitely lead to an outbreak of asthma.
Antonio Cano Vindel, PhD, University of Madrid, points out that anxiety affects asthma in two ways:
- Generating seasonal accelerated respiration and hyperventilation. This physiological state occurs in numerous mental events such as crying, fear, stress and so on. In contrast, he points out that all strong mental events increase the narrowing of the bronchi.
- He also points out that patients with asthma tend to suffer from major depression, sadness, and anger because of the limitations that come with the disease. We now know that when these psychological conditions are treated properly, the prognosis of an asthmatic person is greatly improved.
So there is a relationship between asthma and the mind. However, in this or any other disease, the physics in the brain cannot be distinguished. The old way of life is being ratified again: a sad soul can be as deadly as a bacterium.
