Panic, dyspnea, and asthma

Dyspnea, a cardinal symptom of asthma, is also a common feature of panic attacks. Patients with asthma have high rates of anxiety disorders, and respiratory illness may be a risk factor in the development of panic disorder. The diagnosis of anxiety disorders in patients with asthma can be challenging, but successful identification and treatment of anxiety can reduce morbidity and improve quality of life in these patients. Serotonergic anxiolytic medications and cognitive-behavioral therapy appear to be the treatments of choice for pathologic anxiety in patients with asthma.