Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
40 Million people in the United States are suffering from stress, depression and anxiety. The issue is that stress should never be left untreated, because it can cause and exacerbate significant health disorders and diseases throughout the body and brain.
Anxiety is made up of both psychological and physical symptoms. The psychological part creates the nervousness, fear and worry, while the physical aspect produces sweating, rapid heart palpitations, a rise in blood pressure, nausea and shortness of breath. There are neurotransmitters throughout the entire body that send signals to the brain, alerting you instantaneously of real or perceived danger.
Whether your stress and anxiety are due to biological, psychosocial, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the treatment options usually include behavioral therapy, counseling, and various prescription medications that block or dull different areas of the brain. Some of the most common drug classes prescribed are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The widely known drugs, like Prozac, Zoloft, and Cymbalta play a role in how the neurotransmitters affect the mood by reducing anxiety levels.
Along with medications, there are also alternative therapies that work very well to reduce stress and anxiety.
Take Time for Yourself
Taking the time to enjoy life can be difficult in our fast-paced world, but things like eating a nutritious meal, spending time with grandchildren, volunteering, reading a book on the porch, relaxing on the beach, and simply taking a warm bath can regenerate the body and soul. It’s also okay to say “no” to an overly hectic schedule and just relax.
Yoga & Meditation
Yoga helps to improve flexibility, blood flow, muscle strength, posture, immune function, bone health, decreases depressive episodes, and can regulate blood pressure. Meditation also reduces stress, reduces anxiety, promotes emotional wellbeing, can help fight addictions, can generate health and improve immune function, it can stave off memory disorders and increase neuronal plasticity (grow your brain).
Exercise
Talk with your physician about the right exercise plan for you. Most people can benefit from taking a brisk 30-minute walk or a 30-minute swim. Exercise increases circulation, reduces stress, it also improves nutrient and oxygen rich blood flow, and helps you build strength and to lose weight. If you can work out harder, it’s extremely beneficial to get your heart rate up daily with cardiovascular exercise.
In order to overcome stress and pain, we need a well-rounded treatment protocol that incorporates, medication (if necessary), stress management, nutrition, exercise, meditation, hormone balancing and other therapies that can help to stabilize our systems.
Bonita Care Health Center is a comprehensive diagnostic, treatment, rehabilitation and surgical center specifically designed with our patients’ care and comfort in mind. Equipped with the latest technology, our state-of-the-art facility provides a wide spectrum of health services and programs. In addition to a walk-in clinic, Physician Referral and Patient Education areas, the Bonita Community Health Center offers a virtual one-stop center that caters to all facets of health care. BCHC also offers on-site services including an on-site pharmacy, in-house Lab and wound healing center.
BCHC’s Urgent Care Benefits
• Serving the Community for 19 years
• Urgent Care
• Open 7 days a week
• M-F 7am to 7pm, Sat-Sun 8am to 4pm
• SmartLine Online Check-in “Wait Your Way”
• BCHC has been using the SmartLine for three years now and their waiting room during season has gone from standing room only, to having 4 to 7 patients standing by for a physicians.
• 60% of ER visits would be better served in an Urgent Care
• Urgent care is for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
• BCHC Urgent Care can cost up to 10X less than the ER.
• We are the lower cost alternative to visiting the ER.
• Onsite full imaging center
To find out more or to schedule an appointment, please call 239-949-1050, or visit Bonita Community Health Center
