COPD and anxiety: Researchers test promising approach
Healthline Media UK Ltd | November 27, 2018
The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects millions of people worldwide. Its main symptom is breathlessness, which can be distressing and causes many people with this lung condition to experience anxiety. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 3.17 million people died from causes related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worldwide in 2015 alone. COPD symptoms — typically shortness of breath and coughing — can be more or less severe. However, the symptoms are often upsetting, and many of the people living with this disease experience anxiety as well. This anxiety can exacerbate a person's health, potentially resulting in repeated visits to the hospital. "One of the main symptoms of COPD is breathlessness. This is very frightening and often leads to feelings of anxiety," explains Dr. Karen Heslop-Marshall, a nurse consultant at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. "Many healthcare professionals do not currently screen COPD patients for symptoms of anxiety," she continues, "even though it can have an impact on their overall health."