Cars honking, traffic jams, spending money, family running around in the same house. Sound familiar? With another year almost gone we face the holiday stress that comes with every Christmas season.
To help you cope with this month's often overbearing events, take this information and advice from our Hospitalist, Dr. John Szymczak.
What are the health implications of holiday stress?
"Holiday stress generally warrants lots of symptoms including anxiety, depression, overeating, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, high blood pressure and high cortisol levels. Extensive high cortisol levels, which are a steroid hormone released from the adrenal gland, can lead to impaired cognitive performance, blood sugar imbalances, higher blood pressure and many other symptoms."
What are some symptoms of overeating due to stress?
"When you overeat, blood goes to your intestines and your stomache. Because of this, individuals with PVD (peripheral vascular disease) and heart conditions put added stress on their heart. This increases their risk for heart attack, stroke and angina (chest pain)."
What are the best ways to cope?
"Go out of your way to prevent stressful situations, spend time with people you really enjoy and can relax around, eat and drink in moderation and try to save money for things you know you'll need later." Dr. Szymczak also says that volunteering somewhere helps miminize stress. He suggests adopting a pet, noting that people with dogs are three to four times less likely to die of a heart attack, if one were to occur.
For more information about holiday stress, click this link: http://franciscanphysicians.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=117&pid=1&gid=003211
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