Anxiety Regarding Potential Breathing Issues in the Future

Question: I had bulbar polio when I was three years old. My parents told me I spent time in an iron lung. I am now 70 years old. I don’t currently have any breathing problems. But because of my history, I know it’s a possibility in the future. I know PHI has a whole website dedicated to breathing problems, but I just can’t bring myself to research the issue. I don’t even like seeing an article on the topic in my inbox or when searching for post-polio information. I would rather not deal with the stress and worry until it’s bad enough to have to see the doctor. Am I being foolish?

Response from Rhoda Olkin, PhD: No, you are not being foolish. In fact, you are being wise. I suspect that if you are not having breathing problems by age 70 there is a chance you won’t ever have them, barring another medical condition (and absence of history of smoking).

I am chuckling a bit, though, remembering how I “developed” breathing difficulties every time I read an article about breathing problems! So, I stopped reading the articles about breathing and swallowing difficulties.

Avoidance is a problem when it prevents us from taking necessary actions. Researching something you actually have could be important information seeking. Researching something there is a slight chance you might get in the future doesn’t make sense unless (a) there is a high risk of the problem, and (b) there are preventive measures you should be taking now.

Ask yourself if there is anything you might do differently if you knew you would have some breathing difficulties in the future. I suppose you might practice deep breathing, go for walks, maybe try to build up some muscle. And if you knew you would not have any breathing issue in the future? Those walks, deep breathing and muscle building are all still good ideas.

When we have the flu, we don’t tend to research the flu. Instead we focus on rest and getting better. But okay, flu passes. What about something more permanent or serious, like emphysema? Personally, I would research treatment options, including both Western and Eastern medicine (often called complementary and alternative medicine) approaches. But this is after I got the diagnosis, not before.

Life’s too short to spend time reading things that make us more anxious when there is no compelling reason to do so. Go sit under a tree and read for fun, keep on breathing, and may you live happily to a ripe old age.

Post-Polio Health (Vol. 37, No. 4, Winter 2021)