In these days of Halloween and Day of the dead, ghosts and zombies are the order of the day.And speaking of them, there is a very present myth even in Latin communities over "scares" and "fright" as a cause of diabetes.
But is there anything to worry about?
The "scare" in the Hispanic tradition is more than an emotional condition.For many people it is a disease that implies general discomfort and can lead to other complications.
“A frightened person has pale skin, like yellow.You are not hungry, children do not grow, they are sad, they are very sleepy, they don't feel like doing anything.When the fright is very strong, the blood becomes water, so much that they no longer have strength, they have a lost look, the eyes are sad, ”explains Susana Ruíz Martínez, healer of Oaxaca, in an article in the Department of Family Medicine of the Family Medicine of theFaculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Mexico.
Alopathic doctors of this university have tried to understand the scare and its repercussions on health within the collective imaginary of Latin patients, and have reached this definition: it is “a psychological impact of varied intensity that is suffered as a result of diverse factorsAmong those of supernatural nature (superstitions), natural phenomena (floods, hurricanes) and circumscribed in personal experiences (economic problems, couple crisis) that emerge as fortuitous eventualities completely unexpected. ”
When detecting that the scare is a state commonly mentioned by Latin patients in the United States, the University of Nevada in Las Vegas made an approach group where the following symptoms were defined: loss of appetite, social isolation, nervousness and insomnia.In addition, they concluded that the "scare" is a syndrome related to our culture that has to do with a loss of the normal condition of the person after having lived an event that left it impressed.
It seems that you saw a dead man!
But can superstition related to a scare cause your body to alter its functions to the point of provoking a chronic disease?First we should understand what happens when we suffer an intense emotional reaction such as stress, fright or anger.
Imagine that you run out of one day to another and with many accounts payable.When your body detects that it is under threat it is put on alert producing hormones such as adrenaline that make glucose levels and other reserves (such as fat) fire so that you have enough energy to defend yourself, or in this case forFind a new job.
But a scare in a healthy person does not cause faults in metabolism or forever modify the way in which your body uses food energy;Its own regulatory mechanisms will keep it in a normal range even in a state of prolonged stress.However, what happens if your cells are insulin resistant?Your blood will increase without where to go, and will accumulate until you cause a health crisis.
What if you should believe
A sudden state of stress combined with other hereditary factors and linked to various health conditions (obesity, hypertension, prediabetes or diabetes) can lead to the diagnosis of a chronic disease.
3 out of 10 people living with diabetes in the United States are not aware that they have it and the Latin community is almost double the propensation of suffering from it, according to the American Diabetes Association.People who have diabetes or prediabetes and do not know (and therefore do not follow any medical treatment), can suffer important decompensation derived from a good scare that takes them to the doctor.
If you go to the doctor becauseYou do not feel good, it is possible that this event may seem the cause when in reality it was only the trigger that led you to the diagnosis.
Cured of fright
In addition to carrying good diabetes control through medicines and a supervised diet, it is important to learn stress control techniques and relaxation exercises that help you better level your blood glucose.
A study by Duke University showed that techniques such as deep breathing, progressive relaxation of positive muscles and thoughts reduced the risk of major complications (heart disease, vision problems, kidneys in the kidneys and nervous damage) in the participating subjects.Start with this exercise today to concentrate on breathing recommended by Harvard Medical School:
- Find a comfortable or silent place to sit or go to bed.
- Inhale slowly through the nose allowing your chest and the lower part of your stomach to rise while filling your lungs.
- Let your abdomen expand completely.
- Exhale slowly through the mouth.
- Practice deep breathing while you close your eyes and evo images that calm you and perhaps a word or phrase that helps you concentrate and relax.