The Experts Say - Health & Lifestyle

 

Sleepless In Singapore

Article contributed by:

Raffles Medical Group

 

Good News, Bad News

Singaporeans are well-acquainted with stress.  It is not all bad, as studies have shown that stress can be useful and necessary.  Some stress is beneficial as they stimulate and strengthen us.  What matters is not the event which creates the worry but how we view the event.  An event that causes constant worry to one can be a very useful challenge to another.

 
Success Over Stress

Mr Yam Keng Mun, a Consultant psychologist with Raffles Hospital, highlights three ways to overcoming and harnessing stress for your success.

Did you know?

• 40% of your worries may never

  happen

• 30% of your worries are about past

  events and nothing can be done

  about them

• 10% of your worries are about petty

  things

• 12% of your worries are about your

  health or diet, your weight, etc. and

  will only aggravate the situation

 
So, STOP WORRYING TODAY!

 

Awareness:  Be aware of stress and how it affects you.  Stress shows itself through common signs like irritability, increased relational conflicts, and feelings of isolation amongst others.

 

Wellness:  Exercise regularly to ensure wellness.  Stress can manifest in poor health when your immune system is weakened. If you are experiencing cough and flu regularly, you may be more vulnerable because of unresolved stress.
 
Celebration:  There is more to life than just work and stress!  Celebrate life and feel blessed by the good things in your life!  Companies would notice that stress often results in reduced productivity, low staff morale and increased medical expenses.  The Health Promotion Board’s Workplace Emotional Health Programme (or EAP/ Employee Assistance Programme) is an excellent organisational strategy that helps staff manage their stress levels and increase their emotional resilience.

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Five Simple Stress Tips

1.

 

 

Talk to friends or write a journal as these allow you to explore solutions instead of dwelling on your problems.

 

2.

 

 

Try relaxing by listening to some soft music, taking a lingering bath or going for a massage.

 

3.

 

 

Maintain a healthy diet and take time to eat proper meals at regular intervals.

 

4.

 

 

Physical activities help to release calming chemicals in the brain and promote better sleep.

 

5.

Take deep breaths to help cope with stress that come up at times.

 

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Stress and Common Ailments

Some common health ailments that frequently trouble you may actually be due to stress.  Three such ailments include asthma, acne and irritable bowel syndrome.
 
Asthma

According to Dr Stephen Lee, Consultant ENT Surgeon, Raffles ENT Centre, stress is a well-known asthma trigger.  It can make a person feel short of breath and even worsen existing asthma symptoms. Chemicals/stress hormones are released by the body during times of stress, leading to tightened airway muscles, resulting in narrowing of the air tubes, and difficulty in breathing.
 
Acne

Acne-prone readers should take note of this. “Stress induces some hormonal changes which may either directly or indirectly cause an aggravation of the acne,” said A/Prof Wong Soon Tee, Consultant Dermatologist of Raffles Skin Centre.
 
When you’re under stress, your body produces stress hormones which may stimulate an overproduction of oil in the skin, causing acne to develop or become worse.  This can, in turn, lead to more stress, plunging you into a stress-acne cycle. In addition, stressful situations may also cause an increase in androgens (male hormones) and the resultant increase in oil accounts for acne aggravation.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

With recent understanding of nerve pathways connecting the brain and gut, Dr Law Ngai Moh, Consultant Gastroenterologist of Raffles Internal Medicine Centre, believes that IBS occurs as a result of disrupted movement and altered sensation of the colon, impaired interpretation of colonic signals by the brain and abnormal feedback from the brain back to the gut.  Explained Dr Law, “IBS is affected by circulating hormones, gut chemicals, and physical stimulation, such as food in the digestive system, and most importantly external stress on the mind. 
 
Therefore, physical and mental stress may trigger a change in the sensation and contraction of the colon resulting in IBS symptoms.”

 

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Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group

Dated: May 2011

 

Raffles Medical Group is a leading medical group and the largest private group practice in Singapore.  As a fully integrated healthcare organisation, the Group owns and operates a network of family medicine clinics, a tertiary care private hospital, insurance services and a consumer healthcare division.  Patients of the Group enjoy a continuum of care, from having their most basic healthcare needs met through the Group’s islandwide network of Raffles Medical clinics, to specialist and tertiary care at Raffles Hospital.

 

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