Remember: Manage your stress
IT is the norm for women to report higher stress levels and more extreme stress than their male counterparts.
According to The Stress in America 2012 survey, 23 per cent of women report their stress levels at an 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale, compared to 16 per cent of men.
But remember, while you will experience stress in life, it is also good to manage your stressors to avoid adverse effects.
Dr Alfred Dawes, general, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon, said stress management is important because the consequences of poor management can be dangerous.
“Stress can compromise your immune system and raise your blood pressure and blood sugar, as the stress hormone cortisol, when elevated over the long term, consistently produces glucose, leading to increased blood sugar levels. Also, the function of cortisol is to thwart the effect of insulin which makes the cells insulin-resistant and leaves the body in an insulin-resistant state when cortisol levels are high. This will make the pancreas struggle to keep up with the high demand for insulin, while glucose levels in the blood remain high and the cells cannot get the sugar they need. This can lead to poor wound healing among other diabetes complications such as end organ damage, renal failure, cardiac ischemia and damage to the eyes,” he said.
Dr Dawes said poor sleep, which is an end result of stress, can also lead to a compromised immune system.
“The antibodies that your cells make to strengthen your immune system are made while you are sleeping, so if you’re not sleeping it affects that production and you become more prone to infections,” he cautioned.
