Asthma And The Mind, A Close Link

There has long been talk about the relationship between asthma and the mind. This is because it is very easy to observe this association in everyday life. The most obvious is the link that exists between a state of nervousness and an asthma attack. However, what science has discovered so far is still unclear.

The question that arises is: is there a real relationship between asthma and the mind, or is this an unfounded myth?

Just a few decades ago it was thought that the influence of emotions on asthma was just speculation. However, with advances in science, nowadays this connection is undeniable.

Science defines asthma as a complex syndrome, which is mainly characterized by inflammation and obstruction of the airways.

Furthermore, it is the most common chronic disease in childhood. It is estimated that at least 60% of people with asthma are children.

Among the triggering factors nowadays are those of a psychological nature. The relationship between asthma and the mind is undeniable.

Studies on the relationship between asthma and the mind

Dr. Zofel Marx and his colleagues conducted a study of asthma patients to determine whether emotions had an influence on the disease. His research consisted of comparing the emotions of healthy patients and asthmatic patients to establish whether there was any difference.

In the end, it was concluded that asthmatic patients had more hostile attitudes, more feelings of impotence and more expressions of sadness than healthy patients.

To verify this information, both groups were exposed to different stimuli and their reaction was observed. However, the emotional difficulties observed could be an effect of asthma rather than its cause.

These findings have been supported by other studies. Up to 50% of people with asthma have been shown to have depressive symptoms. Likewise, those people who have these symptoms, or manifestations of anxiety, have more frequent attacks and go to the doctor more often.

On the other hand, the use of antidepressants makes asthma symptoms decrease.

A discovery of neuroscience

A study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison established that there is a clear connection between asthma and the mind. The research carried out allowed us to conclude that asthmatic processes are associated with two areas of the brain that are closely related to emotions: the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula.

Professor Richard Davidson, director of the research, used magnetic resonance images to evidence this fact. For this, it started with a group of six volunteers. They all suffered from asthma. Several substances that exacerbated the disease were administered.

By analyzing the volunteers’ brains, it was possible to observe that the stimuli activated the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula. The two regions are strongly related to emotions.

The research was published but was not considered conclusive because the number of participants studied was small.

A field of research that remains open

Science has managed to establish a connection between asthma and the mind. What is not yet known is the scope of this link or the exact mechanisms that regulate it.

What is known is that psychological factors are decisive in the course of this disease. A state of depression or anxiety exacerbates the onset of asthma.

Dr. Antonio Cano Vindel, from the Complutense University of Madrid, says that anxiety affects asthma in two ways:

• The first, generating episodes of agitated breathing or hyperventilation. This physiological state is present in various emotional events, such as crying, fear, stress, etc. In turn, Cano Vindel points out that every strong emotional event increases bronchoconstriction.
• On the other hand, it points out that patients with asthma usually have high levels of depression, sadness and anger, due to the same limitations caused by the disease. It has been shown that if these psychological states are properly treated, the prognosis of patients significantly improves.

So there is a relationship between asthma and the mind. In this case, as in other diseases, we cannot separate the organism from what happens in the brain. Once again we return to the maxim that to have a healthy body, the mind must also be healthy, and vice versa.