Abstract
Stress may be found at the heart of many illnesses and physical ailments. Allergic symptoms are no exception. The association between stress and allergies reaches back to the dawn of Western medicine in ancient Greece. Asthma was referred to as “asthma nervosa” in early medical texts, and 2,500 years ago Hippocrates theorized a link between an angry mind and shortness of breath.
Medical research continues to explore the stress–allergy connection. A study done at Ohio State University revealed that in allergy sufferers the frequency of allergy flare-ups is directly linked to the persistence of mental stress and that less stress can lead to fewer flare-ups. 1 Some people in the study reported allergy flares within days of increased stress. The research suggests a disturbing snowball effect: symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes can add stress to sufferers and, for some, may even become the main cause of stress. While alleviating stress may not reverse allergies, it can help decrease episodes of intense symptoms.
The Ohio State researchers also demonstrated that psychological stress and mood can directly impact allergic reactivity. They did skin tests on people with nasal allergies before and after having the subjects perform mental arithmetic in front of a small audience. Greater anxiety increased the size of the itchy red wheal that formed in response to the skin test. This increase in allergic reactivity persisted for more than 24 hours, and it did not occur in people who were not given the stressful task, but just sat in the same room. 2
In an article from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, researchers reviewed numerous studies on stress and allergy and summarized the data, finding that stress was linked to: • The development of asthma • An increased rate of admissions to the hospital for asthma • A higher rate of allergic reactions on skin tests.
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The Mississippi scientists recommended stress reduction coupled with training to improve coping skills in the face of adverse situations. They noted that psychological interventions such as expressive writing and relaxation therapy had been found helpful in improving asthma. They also noted that psychotherapy reduced emergency room visits and asthma exacerbations for patients who were depressed.
A study of university students from Finland concluded that stressful events such as personal conflict or the illness of a family member increased the risk of developing asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. 4
Mind Over Allergies
Stress not only provokes allergy symptoms, it is also a well-documented factor in promoting inflammation. The confluence of stress and inflammation led scientists from the University of Wisconsin to state: “Psychological stress is a major provocative factor of symptoms in chronic inflammatory conditions.” 5 The role of inflammation in asthma makes stress management an important modality of treatment for people with asthma.
The Wisconsin researchers compared an eight week meditation course with another healthy-practices intervention to see how each modality might reduce stress and thereby inflammation. The healthy-practices intervention, called the Health Enhancement Program, consisted of exercise such as walking; strength, balance, and agility training; education in nutrition; and music therapy.
The meditation program was mindfulness-based stress reduction, developed at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Considered the primary form of meditation in health care settings, mindfulness-based meditation seeks to cultivate an awareness of the present moment through focused attention on the body and mind while sitting, walking, or practicing forms of movement such as yoga.
In the Wisconsin study, the participants were given a stress test that consisted of public speaking for five minutes followed by five minutes of mental arithmetic. Both the meditation and the healthy-practices program helped the participants cope better with the mental stress of the test. Mindfulness-based stress reduction, however, also produced a decrease in inflammation that was not seen with the healthy-practices program. The researchers noted that the ability of meditation to reduce inflammation might make it particularly helpful as a therapeutic tool for inflammatory conditions.
Doing Less Helps Us Do More
One of the great paradoxes of our shared experience on this earth is that not doing can actually make us more productive. I'm talking about creating stillness, which is not to be confused with mindless inactivity. This truth has not only been grasped by all religions of the world, it has been studied by modern scientists as well. Medical research has proved that just a few hours of training in meditation can increase the efficiency of connections in the brain and enhance our ability to focus our thoughts. 6,7 The regular practice of meditation increases the efficiency with which we make decisions, improves the depth and speed with which we process new information, and helps us preserve brain function as we age. 8 –10
I describe the benefits of “creating stillness” to patients and tell them about a study done at Duke University a few years ago in which researchers developed a workplace stress reduction program consisting of meditation or yoga for highly stressed employees. Both relaxation techniques lowered the participants' mental distress and improved the quality of their sleep. 11
I recommend to patients that they take some time each day for meditation, yoga, or focused relaxation, because finding stillness on a daily basis would help them manage a busy schedule with less pressure and greater efficiency. In this way, they would soon find the time and energy to manage their needs with less effort. There's no evidence that one technique is superior to another. I suggest choosing those that are most appealing to the individual. It's the method we actually use that will help us the most.