Julia is a 32-year-old working mother who was recently diagnosed with allergy-induced asthma after moving to Virginia with her husband and two children. She had never had allergy nor asthma symptoms before, so this has been quite a shock to her and her husband. Her doctor has talked to her about looking for allergy triggers for her symptoms, and she is working to eliminate those. However, she is still having issues with symptoms even with allergens eliminated.

Julia works 55-60 hours per week yet still finds time to volunteer for projects at her children's school as she feels that is important. Due to the demands of work and the importance she places on doing for her family as well, she is sleeping only five hours per night, so she feels fatigued most of the time. She finds herself arguing often with her husband as a result of her low frustration tolerance and feelings that she gets little help at home.

Present a paper describing the effects of stress on asthma, and then apply what you have learned to Julia's situation. In your paper, be sure to answer the following:

• Define stressor, stress response, and distress. How do they apply to this situation?
• If Julia were to present a primary and secondary appraisal of her situation, what might the results of this be?
• What stressors are exacerbating Julia's asthma? What challenges is her immune system facing?
• Identify at least three coping mechanisms Julia could utilize to help herself better manage her asthma symptoms for the future.
• What could her doctor have done from the outset to help her be better informed about her asthma symptoms and care?