Mind your health: anxiety, depression, and asthma
When taking care of a chronic condition management of mental health is also important. Experts discuss strategies to cope with physical and mental health.
Transcript
Learning how your mind works and learning how to work with your mind helps you realize how much power you actually have, especially when it comes to chronic disease management.
[MUSIC PLAYING] Mental health is critical to our whole body health. And it's especially important for anyone
dealing with chronic conditions. Yeah. I think often, we've spent so much time separating the mind from the body, you know?
It's like, taking care of physical things, taking care of mental things. We really can't separate the two. It's really the whole person, the whole human.
Let's talk about asthma and mental health. Patients with this condition can struggle to deal with the handful of symptoms asthma comes with.
What have you seen? One asthma patient surveyed had this to say. "When I'm anxious, I clench muscles which contribute to migraines.
I hyperventilate and then have an asthma attack." A recent study found 33% of individuals with severe asthma
who had taken oral steroids for their asthma said they deal with mental health issues as a side effect. Individuals may also suffer from PTSD, social phobia,
and panic attacks as well. And what other ways can asthma affect a person's mental health? So many factors can aid in the development of anxiety,
such as fear of another asthma attack, anxiety about asthma worsening, worry about how their condition affects those
around them, the inability to socialize because of asthma symptoms. Unfortunately, anxiety is a common trigger
for asthma attacks. So it's imperative that patients learn how to manage both. What are some ways that individuals can manage their anxiety along with their asthma symptoms?
For starters, there are treatments available. Treatments that can address asthma symptoms directly are very important. There are also treatments that can address mental health
issues like anxiety and depression. Other lifestyle tips to try include watching what you eat and drink, avoiding asthma triggers,
connecting with others who are suffering from asthma for support, and staying as active as you can. So it's really important to remember
that treating our mental health is a really important tool in our toolbox to treat our whole human health. Navigating these conditions can seem daunting and take
a toll on the body and mind. Be sure to reach out to your health care provider to help manage and ease your symptoms.
anxiety depression
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