It is proved beyond doubt that the children today undergo a lot of stress, which increases their susceptibility to a horde of diseases. Recent studies have shown that asthma is also one among them.

Children living in homes with stress-laden atmosphere are at higher risk of asthma caused by environmental pollution. The pollution can be vehicular exhaust or cigarette smoking. The study found that children living in stressed out homes with high levels of vehicular pollution have around 50% more chance of suffering from asthma than those living in tension-free homes that are equally polluted.

However, the positive aspect revealed during the study was that stress alone does not have any effect on asthma risk in the absence of environmental triggers. Rob S. McConnell, M.D., Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California and a study researcher explains that pollution leads to inflammation of lungs, which is the lead cause of asthma. Stress helps in aggravating the situation, but stress alone will not have much impact.

The study was conducted on 2,500 children aged 5-9 years. They were observed for a period of three years. None of the children had asthma at the start of the study. The stress level at home was measured by evaluating their parents’ stress using questionnaires. The pollution level at home was evaluated by collecting information about exposure to cigarette smoke and vehicular exhaust. The education background of parents was also considered to determine the socioeconomic status of the family.

During the study period, 120 children developed asthma. Another reason for heightened asthma risk was for children of women who smoked while pregnant. Household stress played a key role for these children as well.

Stress is a factor that raises risk for many diseases including asthma. More research is needed to understand its influence properly.

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