Asthma and Social Networking

Social networking site could exacerbate asthma, physicians warn.
The AP (11/19) reports, "Italian doctors warn that Facebook could trigger an attack in some susceptible users," according to a paper published Nov. 20 in The Lancet. They found that one patient, a "man, had been taking two inhaled steroid drugs several times a day to control his asthma. But when his girlfriend dumped him -- and worse, unfriended him on Facebook -- his condition deteriorated."
According to "The Body Odd" blog hosted by MSNBC.com (11/198, Dahl), "Somehow," explained Dr. Neil L. Kao, an allergist located in South Carolina, "when the mind is under pressure or stress, some people are prone toward asthma attacks; these are people who really are susceptible to stress." Kao "didn't treat this particular young man, but he sees many patients whose asthma is caused by stress-outs about school, sports or social situations, which is what might be happening to this young man."
Thus, the study authors "say the case could be a useful tip for doctors who want to explore mystery cases of wheezing and breathlessness among young patients," AFP (11/19) reports. "Considering the high prevalence of asthma, especially among young people, we suggest that this type of trigger be considered in the assessment of asthma exacerbations." The Los Angeles Times (11/18, Kaplan) "Booster Shots" blog, HealthDay (11/18, Preidt) and WebMD (11/18, Woznicki) also covered the story.