Doctors link asthma to stress

CHENNAI: If you get worked up too often, then you are prone to asthma attacks, say pulmonologists. They say there has been increase in the number of cases of asthma, triggered by stress.
Studies have shown that one of the key triggers of asthma is acid reflux (Gastroesophageal reflux disease - GERD), which is induced by stress. Acid reflux is a condition in which stomach contents (food or liquid) leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus due to lose muscles.The reports on the number of such cases vary as a few doctors suggested that nearly 25% of asthma patients have stress-induced symptoms, while a few other doctors have found more than 40% of their asthma patients to be suffering from stress.
"In the case of acid reflux, the irritation of the membrane in the throat causes cough and sometimes nausea. This can lead to respiratory difficulties," said Dr R Sridharan, who runs an asthma and allergy treatment centre in the city. He sees about 800 asthma patients every month. Of these, nearly 40% of them have asthma induced by acid reflux in their adult life.
That's what happened to V Sundaram who works in the collections department of a private bank. His job is to get loan defaulters to pay up. "We work for long hours and are constantly under pressure. Most times we skip lunch, drink several glasses of coffee or tea. I used to suffer severe acidity. Last month, I found it difficult to breathe. I thought it was heart attack, but doctors diagnosed asthma," he said.
And the circle gets viscious as doctors find that asthma can also induce acid reflux. According to Dr Raj B Singh, a pulmonologist at Apollo Hospitals, the medication prescribed for asthma can cause GERD. "Bronchodilators, which are prescribed for asthma, can loosen the muscles in food pipe, leading to acid reflux," Dr Singh said.
Pollution and lifestyle problems like obesity also increases the risk of asthma. In the last decade, the prevalence of asthma has increased by more than 50%. In the last ten years, doctors have found that asthma in Chennai has gone up from 10% to 25%. In many metros including Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolakata, there has been a similar increase. Yet, the disease continues to be the most underdiagnosed and undertreated. "Nobody wants to be tagged. So they are always under-treated," he said.
On Tuesday, Dr Sridharan, is conducting a light music program revolving around the theme of asthma on Tuesday, which happens to be World Asthma Day. "The lyrics of popular Kollywood songs will be modified into verses on asthma. We hope this creates awareness," he said.
One of the lesser known cause of asthma is hormonal changes, which again is induced by stress. According to Dr Vijil Rahulan, a pulmonologist at Global Hospitals, this form of asthma is nowadays becoming increasingly common among teenagers. "Stress about studies and exams, which is quite high these days, often leads to hormonal problems in the body. This is turn causes the air passageways to become narrow, leading to asthma." Other studies also show that hormonal imbalance can lead to weakening of muscles, including the diaphragm in the lungs, thus causing respiratory difficulties.