Abstract
In recent years, there has been a trend toward increased psychological stress due to changing social environments and systems. Stress affects various diseases, and can cause the disease state to become more prolonged and severe. A series of diseases that occur as a result of stress are called psychosomatic disorders, which are defined as “a disease condition in which onset and psychosocial factors are closely linked and no organic or functional impairment is seen, excluding physical symptoms that accompany other mental disorders such as neurosis or depression.” In recent years, psychosomatic disorders have been increasing. Respiratory diseases in which psychosomatic medicine should be considered include bronchial asthma, nervous (psychogenic) cough, and hyperventilation syndrome. Bronchial asthma in particular has shown an increase in recent years similar to the rise in psychosomatic disorders. As with physical stress, mental stress also plays a large role in prolonging disease and making it more intractable, and physical and mental stress have become major social problems together with psychosomatic disorders. Herein, we analyze the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of bronchial asthma and psychosomatic disorders.
