Manage stress to breathe better with asthma and COPD
Stress can influence almost any aspect of life, including breathing problems. Robin Miller, M.D. describes the reasons that stress affects breathing and what to do to make it more manageable.
Transcript
Calm your nervous system to launch that so-called relaxation response. Many different activities can create this shift.
Meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi all help. [MUSIC PLAYING]
Hi. I'm Dr. Miller. Can stress trigger breathing problems? In a way, yes. If you have shortness of breath caused by COPD or asthma,
your whole body and mind can be thrown off kilter. Breathing problems alert your nervous system that something has gone awry, kicking your body's stress
response into high gear. When that happens, your muscles tense, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, and so does your rate of breathing, making it
even harder to get enough air. Before you know it, you become locked into a vicious cycle of stress and trouble breathing.
But there's a way to reduce that stress. Calm your nervous system to launch that so-called relaxation response.
Many different activities can create this shift. Meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi all help.
So does virtually anything that helps you relax-- soothing bath, listening to music, or watching the sunset.
The formula is simple. Keeping your stress under control can help keep your breath under control, and vice versa.
I'm Dr. Miller. For more ways to breathe easy, check out all our smart tips.
copd
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