Panic Attacks - A Possible Symptom of Asthma

There are more than a quarter million deaths attributed to asthma each year, and over three hundred million people suffer with the issue daily. There are many possible symptoms that can occur when you have asthma, some more obvious than others. While most of the asthma symptoms that you will experience are related to your breathing or other physical issues, some may be mental in nature. In fact, a large number of people dealing with asthma suffer from panic attacks as a symptom of their disease. It may sound surprising, but for the millions who cope with asthma each day it isn't really that hard to understand why.

There are two key reasons that panic attacks are considered a symptom of asthma. The first is that an actual asthma attack can be one of the most terrifying things a person can experience. Even those who have had asthma attacks hundreds of times before will still likely find that an asthma attack is scary and may very well experience a panic attack as a result of it. In an asthma attack your airways inflame to the point of being nearly closed, making it almost impossible to get adequate air into your lungs. It's similar to suffocation, and that alone is enough to trigger a panic attack in most people regardless of how long they've dealt with asthma.

Many people are so affected by their asthma attacks that they actually suffer from panic attacks due to the sheer level of dread they have concerning them. In other words, just knowing that another asthma attack could be around the corner is enough to cause panic attacks in some people. Many who are on asthma medications are also taking anti-anxiety medications as well in order to help keep them calm, especially since anxiety itself can actually trigger asthma related flare ups and create even more problems than a person may realize.

Panic attacks are very real and often as serious to some as the asthma attacks that are triggering them. Medically there is no physical link between the two but anyone who has experienced asthma attacks can affirm that the issue is indeed more common than most suspect. The simple fact of lying in bed waiting for an asthma attack to flare up is enough to cause high levels of panic, and if you're experiencing this problem then consider discussing treatment options with your doctor. They'll help you manage your asthma and your panic and give you back your life.