Mental health and Anxiety
Anxiety plays a huge role in all patient symptoms and outlook. Everything from nerves about a particular consultation to severe side effects & allergies can be helped if we can learn how to control our anxiety. For example, anxiety doesn’t cause allergy but can increase the amount of histamine released, making an allergic reaction worse.
Anxiety isn’t something we can control easily and is often something we are unaware of as it makes our lives more difficult. Awareness and learning about the tools we can use to reduce anxiety is very important and can change lives.
Resources
Asthma and Lung UK have information on how anxiety can affect your lung condition and how to manage anxiety: Your lung condition and anxiety
The NHS website provides information and support surounding health anxiety.
Harvard health have an article that outlines how stress can worsen your allergy symptoms.
The NHS are working hard to improve access to therapy for anxiety and depression, particularly in adults with other long term health conditions.
The NHS have created two interactive guides on how to manage your stress and anxiety:
Videos
This video provides information on talking therapy for anxiety and depression:
Here is a relaxation technique video by the NHS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXGt2d1RyQ&t=3s
The BBC have created a series of short videos on “How to optimise your health and maximise your wellbeing, with advice from doctors, scientists and people who have first-hand experience”. Access the videos here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/playlists/health-and-wellbeing