Laughter can bring on asthma

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that over half of people with asthma find that laughter can bring on an attack.
Laughter is healthy - it relieves stress. But for people with asthma, laughter can also be a bit of a hazard. A study from NYU Medical Center, New York, shows that 56 per cent of a group of 235 patients found that laughter could trigger an asthma attack.

However, such attacks were not likely to require hospital treatment. If the asthma was well-controlled, then laughter was less likely to trigger an attack. Maybe laughter-induced asthma is a warning sign, that the condition is not being well enough managed. It is not clear how laughing can bring on asthma, but may have something to do with hyperventilation. It is certainly far from unusual; laughter is as common a trigger as pollen and fumes and more common that dust mites. The symptoms start with a coughing fit, followed by the hallmark chest tightness of an asthma attack. You can hardly avoid laughter. If it brings on an asthma attack, then maybe it is time for a review of the patient's management program.

Source
American Thoracic Society meeting 24th May 2005

Please take a moment to give us your comments. For questions about Health matters you may check our "Questions & Answers" Portal and Service.