No abstract

Background: Patients may find it difficult to distinguish between the symptoms of anxiety and those of asthma. Findings are equivocal on whether there is a specific link between anxiety and asthma. The aims of this study were to i) to identify the prevalence of anxiety, depression and panic fear in adults with asthma compared with that of the general population ii) to investigate whether there is a specific relationship between asthma and anxiety.

Occupational type exposure tests in two female hairdressers with occupational asthma gave, in one, an immediate asthmatic reaction to the mixing of a bleach containing potassium persulphate with hydrogen peroxide and also immediate skin test reactions to sodium and potassium persulphate, and in the other a non-immediate asthmatic reaction and negative skin tests to the persulphate preparations and also immediate skin and bronchial reactions to an extract of henna.

A brief cognitive behavioural intervention was found to have efficacy in reducing asthma-specific panic fear immediately after treatment and at 6 months follow up. There was no cost advantage to cognitive behavioural treatment.

A comparison was made between the eflFects of prior inhalation of sodium cromoglycate or beclomethasone dipropionate on immediate, late and dual asthmatic reactions to provocation challenge tests with a range of allergcnii. Whereas sodium cromoglycate inhibited immediate and dual asthmatic reactions, beclomethasone dipropionate had no elTect on immediate asthmatic reactions, but consistently inhibited late asthmatic reactions.