One of the most common triggers of an Angioedemic attack is psychological stress. This includes any extreme emotion - from anger and frustration all the way to excitement and elation.
The more nervous, angry, or excited I get, the worse the attack. I have the biggest issues when I am nervous or overcome with anticipation.
First dates were always bad. I would have to give myself extra time to get ready so that I could simply sit and relax long before meeting up. I would often have some dry heaving before going, and would often get sick afterwards. All of that stress.
Recently, I got to go on a particularly exciting date night. A few days later I had a meeting that I was pretty nervous for. And then the next day I was meeting a couple of extremely important people ... Which made me so nervous that I was shaking like a leaf all morning.
So how do I keep calm?
How do I prevent a full-blown attack?
Yoga helps. Just taking a few minutes to lie down and focus on my breathing helps. Sitting and petting Decker really slowly also helps. And then taking something extra for medication helps. I need to ensure that I am as relaxed as I can be, and then take extra precautions when I get back home. Trying not to walk too much, leaving household chores for a couple of days, essentially getting lost in a tv show, book, or magazine - something that is mundane and takes my emotions to a comfortably neutral state.
These methods help a throat swell to slowly improve rather than quickly escalating into a full-blown, life-threatening attack.
Since I am not on any medication specifically for my HAE yet (because we are still waiting on bloodwork results for another issue), I have to do whatever I CAN do to learn to relax.