Sep 1, 2009 11:53 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Stress & Allergies
New Study Suggests The More Anxiety You Have, The More Likely You Are To Come Down With Nagging Colds
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
If your allergies leave you miserable you probably do what you can to avoid the problem. You wash away any allergens and maybe even take the latest remedies. But have you thought about checking your stress levels?
CBS 2 HD has information on research that's nothing to sneeze at.
Benjamin Norman knows a thing or two about stress.
"I'm a single father raising a teenage boy," Norman said.
And to add to his anxiety, his allergies leave him hurting year round.
"Clogged up, wheezing, runny nose, eyes watering, so that's … its pretty extreme," Norman said.
Allergy stricken and stressed, what does one have to do with the other?
A lot, according to a study from Ohio State researchers, who set out to show what happens to hay fever sufferers under stress.
First they exposed them to the allergens and then stress.
They then compared the size of hive-like reactions before, during and after stress.
"If people were moderately anxious it was about 75 percent bigger. If they were really anxious, it was about 200 percent bigger. It doubled in size," clinical psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser said.
And that stress impact can be an enduring one.
"Stress affects allergies at least two different ways. There's an early event, acute and up to 24 hours, or late-phase response," said Dr. Ronald Glaser, a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics.
It's well documented that stress impacts the immune system. Now, this new research is raising suspicions that it also increases levels of the compounds that heighten allergic response. The resulting symptoms may be harder to treat.
"You can treat with typical types of cold medications, but you can't use antihistamines, which is typically one of the most effective drugs to use," Dr. Glaser said.
The recommendation: try to decompress so you can stop the sneezing.
"Everybody deals with stress differently. Some people get ulcers and I've never had ulcers so maybe it's affecting my allergies," Norman said.
In addition to hay fever, other allergic illnesses such as eczema and asthma are also worsened by the heightened adrenaline levels of stressful times. Researchers say repetitious activities that clear the mind of everyday thoughts, such as yoga and prayer may reduce stress levels quickly.
Hay fever affects an estimated 20 percent of adults and 40 percent of children, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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