Asthma and Panic Attacks - A Simple Drug-Free Approach Anyone Can Use

If you suffer from asthma, you often live in fear of not being able to breathe properly at any given time. Perhaps you control it with medication and inhalers, but what happens when you are exposed to something that sets it off unexpectedly or if you reach for your inhaler and it is empty? More than likely, you will start to panic and your panic will increase your difficulty to breathe.

Fearing that your lungs are totally shutting down is more than enough reason to set off an attack. Research conducted in Switzerland found that asthma sufferers are almost five times more likely to suffer from panic attacks than those who do not have asthma. The study looked at young adult asthma patients and followed their health and asthma attacks over the next 20 years of their life. About 600 people in all were involved in the study and the resulting asthma induced panic attacks found in many of them led to the findings.

The good news is that with the results of this study and many others that examine the signs and symptoms of asthma and panic attacks, doctors are taking a look at the two conditions as a combined health issue and considering how to treat both conditions at the same time. This is becoming more critical as medical studies are now starting to find that panic attack sufferers are actually developing asthma. Their condition is somehow making them more susceptible to asthma which is a very serious concern for anyone with panic attacks.

Some doctors are expressing concern that this relationship may however actually be a misdiagnosis and some of the symptoms could be easily confused. Something like hyperventilation is common in both conditions. If doctors are not aware that their patient is suffering from chronic panic attacks, they may misdiagnose the case as actually being asthma when that is not the case.

Anyone suffering from either of these conditions should consult with their health care practitioner to ensure that the original diagnosis is correct and that they are getting the proper treatment for their condition. Putting the cases of misdiagnosis aside, it only makes sense to have some sort of treatment that will help these conditions simultaneously. Asthma is usually treated with drugs and people with frequent panic attacks are also usually given drugs as well. But with the side effects of these drugs adding another concern to the picture, seeking alternative approaches to managing asthma and panic attacks makes a lot of sense.