The millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought globally are creating stress over everything from personal health to employment, lifestyle, and finances.

Given these difficult circumstances, its more important than ever for people to know about coping mechanisms to better manage stress, protect their immune system, and increase their chances of staying healthy, says Dr. Nammy Patel, DDS (www.sfgreendentist.com), author of Age With Style: Your Guide To A Youthful Smile & Healthy Living.

COVID is maximizing stress for so many people, Dr. Patel says. It has a far-reaching impact into every part of our lives, and if we dont manage the stress, it severely affects our bodily systems causing burned-out adrenals, high cortisol, and thyroid issues, to name a few consequences of high-stress levels. Thus, the immune system is lowered, and we are more vulnerable to illness.

This era we are living in is very traumatic, and its very concerning. In dentistry, gum disease, sleep disturbances or apnea, and teeth breakage can all be evidence of stress. Poor oral health, as studies show, can be a gateway to medical issues. People often dont identify how much stress theyre under, and how its affecting them physically, until they actually get sick.

Dr. Patel has the following suggestions people can incorporate into their daily lives to better deal with stress:

The disruption of daily life by COVID-19 has caused us to rethink many things that we do, Dr. Patel says. How we deal with stress needs to be a priority now, and its not overly difficult if you develop good daily habits.

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The stress impact of COVID-19: 5 ways to cope and protect your health - Daniel Island News