VIDEO: Mental health strategies help patients better manage asthma, anxiety

SAN ANTONIO — Stress management, breathing strategies and mindfulness can help patients with asthma control their anxiety and experience better outcomes, Tamara Hubbard, LCPC, said in this Healio exclusive video.

Hubbard, who is a licensed family therapist and allied health care member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, discussed associations between mental health and asthma during her presentation at the AAAAI Annual Meeting.

“There’s a high comorbidity between specifically anxiety, panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorders and asthma,” Hubbard said.

For example, motivational interviewing questioning can uncover whether patients would be willing to make changes in their lives that would reduce stress and have a positive impact on their anxiety.

“Another way that we can teach our asthmatic, anxious patients to make changes so that their anxiety can be more managed is to use diaphragmic breathing,” Hubbard continued, with deep inhaling and a focus on long exhalation.

By staying focused on the present and having nonjudgmental thoughts, Hubbard added, patients can bring down anxiety levels, avoid anxiety thinking cycles and use calming strategies to get ahold of asthma as well.

Watch the video for more.