We live in an era where competition prevails leading to a society in which the minds are always occupied with multiple things at once. This busy hustle-based lifestyle can often make you feel exhausted which can lead to anxiety and depression. The levels of stress and anxiety have been really higher in youths especially, in these decades. The COVID pandemic has just worsened this situation as even in the first year of the COVID pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression has raised to a great surge i.e., 25%. And this impact of the COVID pandemic on the world’s mental health is just the tip of the iceberg, as said by the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom.
According to a study carried out from the Global Burden of Disease Study, the most impact of post-pandemic on mental health is on the young population and women. Women have been impacted more severely as compared to men and after women, people with pre-existing illnesses like cancer, asthma, and any kind of heart disease.
Stress and Constipation:
Constipation, as almost all of us know, is a condition involving difficulty in passing stools or absence of bowel movements. Constipation can be caused as a result of many factors. The direct relationship between stress and Constipation: Increased levels of stress lead to increased levels of stress hormones (eg. Cortisol) in an individual. Increased levels of these stress hormones directly impact bowel movements which can lead to constipation.
Increased stress can lead to the following constipation-causing factors in a woman:
- Dehydration
- Lack of physical activity
- An inadequate or unbalanced diet like not eating an adequate amount of fibers
This increased stress and anxiety prevalence in women is something that should not be taken lightly. These increased levels of stress can lead to several other health conditions like the following:
- Headaches and Migraines
- Anxiety, depression, mood problems
- Occupational problems such as the productivity of the woman decrease with increased stress
- Heart Problems
- Menstrual cycle-related problems
- Decrease in the sex drive
- Pregnancy-related problems
These problems or irregularities that may seem minor to many can lead to major health problems that may even prove to be fatal.
