How Stress Impacts Allergies, Hives & Your Immune System (with Psychiatrist Dr. Bryson Lochte)

This episode of My Allergist Dad explores how mental stress can affect the body, immune system, and allergies. Drew and Dr. Z are joined by Santa Monica psychiatrist Dr. Bryson Lochte, who discusses treating root causes rather than only symptoms, including psychotherapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and tools like meditation and breathwork. Dr. Z describes patients with persistent hives, itching, and breathing complaints that don’t respond well to escalating medications, often alongside major life stressors, and explains stress-related sympathetic and cortisol effects, anxiety–allergy connections, and downstream impacts like microbiome changes and mast-cell activation. The conversation covers how stress can worsen existing allergies, how anxiety can mimic asthma or contribute to vocal cord dysfunction, and why a more interconnected, holistic approach is needed alongside standard medical treatment.00:00 What Stress Really Means00:57 Meet Dr. Bryson Lochte01:27 Show Intro Theme03:09 Stress And Allergy Flare Ups08:05 Treating Roots Not Symptoms10:36 Three Ways We Handle Distress12:26 Breathwork And Hidden Emotions14:35 Breathing Problems Or Anxiety16:26 Kids Animals And Culture19:30 Anxiety Allergies Chicken Egg22:04 Immune Domino Effects26:26 Holotropic Breathwork Explained29:48 Wrap Up Final Thoughts32:25 Medical Disclaimer📩 Have a question for the show?Email: [email protected]