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Stressed? Relax, It May Help Your Allergies
Posted by Kevin on Friday, August 22, 2008
(Boston, MA) In a study presented to the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association conference, Ohio State researcher, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, found that even slight stress can increase a person’s reaction to common allergens. Of 28 volunteers, all were administered standard prick tests and blood, saliva and serum samples were taken multiple times throughout the experiment. After submitting some participants to different types of stress, the findings demonstrated that allergic reactions were strengthened and present for a longer duration in stressful situations.
Each participant was given a variety of psychological questionnaires to determine stress and anxiety levels. Once this baseline was established, the volunteers were given the skin prick test then asked to perform an array of tasks ranging from reading to giving a ten minute speech in front of a panel of observers and solving math problems without pen or paper.
By measuring the “wheals” that formed from the prick test, researchers determined that the wheals were up to 75% larger on the individuals placed in more stressful situations. More importantly, a day later the allergic reaction for the same people was four times more likely to be stronger than those under low amounts of stress. As Gailen Marshall, co-investigator of the project, noted, late-phase or delayed reactions are often unresponsive to common treatment. “Late phase reactions also occur in allergic asthma and can, in proper settings, be potentially life-threatening.”
While common treatments such as antihistamines can reduce the severity of the reaction, persistent problems can become a serious issue for those who are often anxious or under higher levels of stress. Reducing stress has been proven to have positive health effects in a range of areas. This study reinforces this but also helps to warn against possible complications in allergy sufferers who cannot reduce their stress levels and relax.
Click here to read the original article, and for a more complete overview of this study you can visit OSU’s research page. Tags: Stress Allergies Reaction Late Phase Relax
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