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Children who suffer from asthma or respiratory disorders may getsymptom relief from hypnosis, according to a researcher at SUNYUpstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. Ran D. Anbar, MD,Professor of Pediatrics, recommends hypnosis as a treatment option forchildren whose symptoms seem to have a psychological component.

Respiratory diseases in children includevocal cord dysfunction (acondition that presents with asthma-like symptoms),asthma,cysticfibrosis, and habit cough. Asthma is the most common of theseconditions, affecting about 9 percent of children, according to the

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. More than 50percent of patients who have asthma also suffer from anxiety, and morethan 10 percent may suffer fromvocal cord dysfunction. About 1,000children are born withcystic fibrosis each year in the United States.Habit cough is a persistent cough that has no clear physical cause, andit is associated with stress.Dr. Anbar notes that symptoms such as a disruptive cough, difficultytaking a breath, noise when breathing in such as a squeak or gasp,difficulty swallowing despite normal lung function, and hyperventilationas possible indications for trying hypnosis as a complement to medical

therapy in children. Symptoms that do not occur when children aresleeping (e.g., as in habit cough), that are associated with or triggeredby an emotional response, or that are associated with a specific locationor activity may be especially response to hypnosis. According to Dr.Anbar, once children decide they want to learn hypnosis, initialinstruction on self-hypnosis can take 30 minutes or less. Children tendto be more receptive to hypnosis than adults.

Previously published data support the use of hypnosis in children whohave a respiratory condition that has a significant mind-body

component, such as habit cough and vocal cord dysfunction. In a criticalreview conducted at Harvard and published in 2007 in the InternationalJournal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, the research reportedthat hypnosis has great potential for treating symptom severity andillness-related behaviors for people who have asthma. The review alsonoted that hypnosis is effective for managing emotional states thatworsen airway obstruction.

Dr. Anbar recommends hypnosis as a treatment option for children who

suffer with respiratory diseases. He warns parents to seek a medicalprofessional who has been properly trained in hypnosis to teach their

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children the technique. Once children who have respiratory diseaseshave learned self-hypnosis, they can also use it for more than theirrespiratory symptoms: it can also be called upon when they need toundergo medical procedures that may cause them anxiety, such asbronchoscopy, injections, or placement of an intravenous line.