COPD & Stress: The Hidden Link Worsening Your Symptoms - AI Podcast

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 31 May 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Story at-a-glance

Research shows perceived stress significantly worsens COPD symptoms, with high stress levels quadrupling the risk of serious flare-ups requiring medical intervention
Stress triggers biological changes in COPD patients, increasing inflammation markers and oxidative stress that directly damage lung tissue and impair breathing
People with COPD who experience high stress levels report greater death anxiety, especially women, unemployed individuals and those lacking education about their condition
Understanding your condition and building confidence in managing symptoms (self-efficacy) significantly reduces both stress levels and physical complications of COPD
Simple interventions like focused breathing, symptom tracking and establishing daily routines help interrupt the stress-symptom cycle and improve quality of life

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's Cellular Wisdom.
0:04.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:09.3	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:14.1	Have you ever noticed how a stressful morning can leave your chest feeling tighter, every breath a little shorter. Hello and
0:22.3	welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, and today we're asking a direct question.
0:29.2	How much of what you feel in your lungs is driven by what's happening in your mind?
0:33.9	Joining me is co-host Alara Sky as we examine new data on stress and COPD, data showing that emotions don't just color your day.
0:42.8	They shape your biology.
0:44.6	Thank you, Ethan.
0:45.8	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, already tests your stamina.
0:51.3	Yet research now shows that perceived stress, your personal sense of feeling
0:55.5	overwhelmed, can push those challenges even further. We'll walk you through studies revealing
1:00.3	that high stress can quadruple the risk of serious flare-ups, ramp up inflammation, and intensify
1:06.0	fear of death, especially when breathlessness strikes without warning. Nearly 300 million people worldwide live with COPD,
1:14.6	a condition that gradually narrows your airway.
1:17.6	Medications and oxygen often take center stage,
1:20.6	but the article we're discussing highlights something else.
1:23.6	Your mental state.
1:25.6	Feeling out of control doesn't just darken your mood. It
1:29.1	activates pathways that heighten inflammation, weaken defenses, and set the stage for more
1:35.1	severe respiratory events. A key piece of evidence comes from a study published in chronic
1:40.4	obstructive pulmonary diseases, Journal of the COPD Foundation. Researchers followed
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 12 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Briana Mercola, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Briana Mercola and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.