Sadness an Asthma Trigger?

Parents of asthmatic children face the challenge of ensuring that their children avoid an asthma attack by minimizing or eliminating all possible triggers. A recent study conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo has found that distressing events may have to be added to the long list of things that may trigger a possible attack.

Researchers studied the breathing patterns of 90 asthmatic 7- to 17-year-old boys and girls before and after they watched scenes from the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial. Half of the kids had symptoms of depression, in addition to asthma, while the other half did not.

The children with both asthma and symptoms of depression were more likely to show greater airway resistance after watching troubling scenes from the movie, Dr. Bruce D. Miller, at State University of New York at Buffalo, and colleagues found.

The researchers warn parents of asthmatic children to be aware of the possible effects of emotionally stressful events on their children. Read the full article to find out more about the study.

Distressing events may be very difficult to avoid, and some stresses may even be considered as part of a normal childhood. Some may even say that it is important for children to experience some difficulties to build character and resilience. How should parents protect their children’s health without adversely affecting their emotional development? Share your thoughts below!