‘Stress‘, the word as we use it today, was coined by Dr. Hans Selye, a Canadian physician who was nominated for a Nobel Prize for his work. It goes without saying that stress is a major factor in our daily lives, but while acute stress, from time to time, is desirable, chronic stress is not.
The stress reaction or the fight or flight response was designed by nature to protect us from predators when humanity first walked the face of the earth. Over time, we have lost control of this system and have forgotten the off button, which leads us to a state of chronic stress, which is no longer triggered by the sight of a saber-toothed tiger but by the movements of the bag, jams, increases, promotions and thoughts about aging.
This has resulted in deleterious effects on our bodies, as a result of being marinated for days and months with stress hormones: epinephrine and cortisol.
Stress symptoms and warning signs:
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Samir Dwivedi, Medical Director of India – International SOS, shared: “Reaction to stress has been linked to many pathologies, from back pain, memory loss, heart attacks, gastric ulcers, panic attacks and reproductive problems. . Stress affects almost every part of our body. Hence the importance of anguish in our day to day. It is not the stressor but how we react to stress that is the problem.”
Dr. Vasant Mundra, Consultant Psychiatrist at PD Hinduja Hospital and MRC in Mumbai, stressed: “Stress is a technical word for doctors. We don’t refer to exams as a stress. Technically, stress is the body’s response to a noxious stimulus. That is to say, the physiological and psychological response that we produce before an event will be labeled as stress depending on whether we see the event as a threat or we do not see the event. So, in reality, it is not the events but the perception of that person that decides if it is a stress or not.
He added: “Imagine two employees who are sitting in the office and the boss comes and fires them both and makes comments about their ability to work, their time, their behavior, etc. and he leaves. One feels insulted, demoted, hurt, feels helpless, feels like quitting, feels angry but the other feels that the boss seems to have some problem today. His wife must have yelled at him and he is yelling at us. So the perception of the event decides what my response will be. Those of us who respond to any event as a threat produce the threat response to the autonomic nervous system. That is, our brain automatically gives signals whether it is to produce more acid or to speed up the heartbeat or if the breathing will start with force, as well as for our hands and legs to be tense, ready for action, the fight phenomenon or flight”.
Dr. Vasant Mundra revealed: “When this happens chronically and persistently, it leads to what are called stress-induced disorders, for example hypertension or diabetes or simple day-to-day things like hyperacidity. In an acute way when it happens, due to the immediate event one can produce physiological changes, such as palpitations, dyspnea, tremor, vertigo, sensation of suffocation, agony, and what we call loser panic attacks. Therefore, stress itself must be understood physiologically as the body’s response to a threatening stimulus and the threatening stimulus depends on whether the person perceives something as a threat. Looking around us, we see that many students before the exams get angry, scared and anxious, and they are still a small group in the class who do not even know what day the exam is. Our perceptions are based on our personality, the education we have received, our genetics. Anxiety often arises in families where more families who perceive threats from trivial events will find that children also view the events as threatening. For clinicians, it’s extremely important to be able to see this because, chronically, it’s very, very important to be able to prevent what are called lifestyle disorders.”
Adding his expertise to it, Dr. Anant Pandhare, Medical Director of Dr. Hedgewar Hospital in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, said: “Stress, which is a feeling of being overwhelmed by mental or emotional pressure, is a very common problem. However, it can have mental and physical consequences. There are numerous outward signs of stress and worry. Watch for signs of stress such as irritability, mood swings, changes in bowel movements, disturbed sleep patterns, changes in nutrition (eating too little or too much), or even developing a sudden taste for certain foods, if you’ve been under unusually low amounts discharged recently.”
He stated: “Stress can manifest itself physically as a variety of symptoms, including but not limited to headaches, acne, aches and pains, changes in blood pressure, digestive problems, and profuse perspiration. Remember that daily stress is often what inspires us to improve our careers and relationships. However, long-term exposure to high levels of stress has been linked to a variety of dangerous diseases. Prolonged stress can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including decreased energy, insomnia, changes in libido, and depression. Acne, headaches, rapid heartbeat, sweating, hunger swings, digestive problems, chronic ailments, and frequent infections or illnesses are physical indicators of chronic stress.”
Adding to the list of stress symptoms and warning signs, Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, nutrition and fitness scientist and co-founder of Food Darzee, said: “Everyone experiences times of stress. In fact, our bodies are designed to experience stress and react to it. When we experience stressors, our body produces physical and mental responses, which is what stress really is. Conversely, stress can also be positive. It can keep us alert and motivated to avoid possible dangers. When a person has long-term chronic stress, the continual activation of the stress response causes wear and tear on the body and affects their physical, emotional, and behavioral well-being.”
He added: “Physical symptoms of stress can include aches and pains, exhaustion or difficulty sleeping, high blood pressure, a weak immune system, etc. While the emotional and mental symptoms related to stress can be anxiety, depression, panic attacks, etc., its effects can also lead to unhealthy behaviors like binge drinking, overeating, feeling overwhelmed, eating disorders, etc. Also, if stress continues unabated, it can take a serious toll on the body and put you at risk for a number of health problems, including chronic heart disease.”
Tips to deal with stress:
According to Dr. Samir Dwivedi, there are many strategies that can be adopted to manage or deal with stress in daily life. He suggested: “Exercise and deep breathing are some of the most important. Many others, like mindfulness and medication; and also guided imagery works wonders for others. Simple things like listening to music, massage, and ventilation, or just writing problems down on a piece of paper and looking at them work great for many. Knowing what’s important and being willing to make lifestyle changes is imperative as stress damages our bodies in more ways than we realize.”
In these challenging times, it is vital that companies tackle the mental health issue head-on, developing a sophisticated mental wellness strategy to meet duty of care responsibilities and help employees with their mental health resilience. Dr. Samir Dwivedi said: “Beyond the obvious positives that implementing these strategies would have for employees, companies have a vested interest in investing in creating a mental wellness program. 1 in 3 at-risk professionals believe that mental health issues will contribute significantly to declining productivity levels this year. So a company that adequately supports employees is likely to be in a better and more productive place than one that doesn’t.”
Dr. Anant Pandhare suggested: “The first step in managing stress is recognizing and accepting it. Consult a therapist or psychologist to analyze your stress symptoms. Physical activity, psychotherapy and meditation reduce daily stress. When you need help, ask.”
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