HealthyLife Articles

Tag: stress

Using This Credit Card May Be Bad For Your Health

WELL-BEING

High levels of credit card debt and the stress of having debt may be bad for your health, a study in Social Science & Medicine suggests. People who reported higher levels of stress about their debt showed higher levels of physical impairment and reported worse health than those with lower levels of debt.

In the study, researchers asked people to rate their own health on a scale of very poor to very good. They rated how much they worried about their total debt. Researchers also asked how difficult it was for survey participants to do everyday activities such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries. Participants also reported how many credit cards they have and whether they carry a balance from month to month.

But it didn’t matter how many credit cards a person had, the big stress factor related to health was the ratio of credit card debt to their total family income-in other words, how much you owe compared with what you earn.

“The stress of owing money, and knowledge that we’re paying high interest rates, may lead to increased stress resulting in worsening health,” said the director of Ohio State’s Center for Survey Research. Credit counseling is one way to reverse debt-stress.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Boost Your Own Emotional Health

SELF-CARE CORNER

Our emotions have a lot of control over our lives. After all, if you’re feeling angry or sad, this can affect your work, personal life and even your food choices for the day.

That’s why good emotional health is just as important as your physical health. People with good emotional health are not necessarily happy 100% of the time. But, they know how to cope with life’s challenges and have healthy relationships.

Better emotional health is a skill you can learn. These habits can help you get there:

* Think about your feelings. Do certain things make you feel sad, stressed or frustrated? If you can, take steps to change them. If you can’t, work on accepting them.

* Don’t keep feelings inside. It’s okay to tell others how you are feeling. With time and practice, this can be done without yelling or emotional outbursts. Try to talk things through in a calm way.

* When you feel yourself getting angry, stop and breathe. Take a deep breath and count to 10. Leave the room if needed. This can help stop you from saying or doing something you may regret later.

* Focus on a healthy body. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you feel more energized and ready to take on the world. These healthy habits can even help relieve mild depression or anxiety.

* Be social. Even if you’re shy, it’s good to connect with others. Have lunch with a friend or family member regularly. Join a group or volunteer at a charity you love.

* Do something relaxing every day. Try deep breathing, meditation, exercise or yoga. These practices can help you keep stress levels in check, which improves emotional health, too.

* Do things you love. If you love music, art, sports or a special hobby, find a way to do this regularly. This is a great way to help you feel more positive about life.

* Find purpose for your life. What is important to you? Whether it’s family, volunteering or something else, people need purpose and meaning to feel good. Try to think about your special purpose each day. If you’re not sure what it is, connecting with people may help you find it.

Mental illness can stand in the way of your emotional health. See your doctor as recommended and talk about your mental and emotional health during your checkups.

Source: American Academy of Family Physicians

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Buried In Clutter

SELF-CARE CORNER

Feeling overwhelmed with your “stuff” and looking for ways to throw “things” away? Follow the tips below in de-cluttering from The Cleaning Authority.

Sort it out

Begin by sorting, room by room, into the following piles: keep, donate, sell, trash, and recycle. (Label a box or laundry basket for each category.) Focus on the end result and go with your gut when deciding what to do with an item.

Get rid of it!

Purge items in the recycle and trash piles so they no longer take up space in your home. Consumers spend one year of their lives looking for lost items, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers. Having more space in your home makes it easier to organize and find the things you keep.

Make a little cash.

List items for sale on Craigslist or eBay, or take them to a resale store. Give yourself a deadline to sell everything. Whatever has not sold by that date, donate.

Give back to the community.

Goodwill, Purple Heart, and Habitat for Humanity are just a few options to consider when donating your household goods. Not all items may be accepted, so check with your local charity if you are planning on donating furniture or any larger items. Many will send a truck if you call them to schedule a pickup.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Can Stress Really Break Your Heart?

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

We know that stress affects the body in many ways. When you’re stressed, your heart may race, you may sweat or get a headache and some people even get sick. But experts say that extreme stress can also cause a condition known as broken heart syndrome.

Broken heart syndrome is sometimes called stress-induced or takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It can happen when someone has extreme stress like grief, shock or anger. It can also happen when the body is under physical stress, such as extreme exercise, surgery or dealing with a serious illness.

Why does broken heart syndrome happen?

Some medical experts believe that a high release of stress hormones affects how well the heart can pump blood, causing a problem with the heart muscle. This effect is only temporary, however, and the heart usually returns to its normal function. Or, high stress may cause a spasm in one of the arteries that supplies blood to the heart.

What does broken heart syndrome look like?

Symptoms of broken heart syndrome look a lot like a heart attack. They include chest pain and feeling out of breath. These symptoms begin within a few minutes to hours after the stressful event happens.

Because there’s no way to know if you have broken heart syndrome or a heart attack, it’s important to go to the emergency room if you notice these symptoms. Usually, the doctors will run tests like a chest x-ray, EKG or other procedures to see how the heart is working. These tests are painless.

How is it treated?

First, the doctors will want to improve blood flow to the heart. Certain medicines for blood pressure may be used or blood thinners. In some cases, medicines for anxiety are used to help lower stress hormones in the body.

Some people may need to stay in the hospital for a few days. Most people recover within a few days without any long-term damage to their heart.

Remember, if you have chest pain or shortness of breath, it’s always important to get medical help right away.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Care For The Caregiver

FAMILY LIFE

Stress, anxiety, and burnout are never far from the doorsteps of millions of Americans who are caregivers as they often juggle the responsibilities of providing daily care for a loved one with dementia or another condition with the added demands of working, maintaining a household, or raising children.

Too often caregivers don’t know how to ask for help, and friends and family members aren’t sure of how to lend a hand.

“Caregivers will say ‘no’ when offered help because they worry it will reflect poorly on them or because they ‘don’t want to bother’ others. And some caregivers get so attached to their role that they just can’t let go,” said Nancy Alterman, a licensed clinical social worker with the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.

If you know a family member or close friend who is a caregiver, Alterman offers the following suggestions to help ease that person’s burden.

* Be sensitive about visiting by calling ahead to schedule a time that is convenient. But if the caregiver routinely declines offers of a visit, you may need to just show up with special foods or an easy activity like a puzzle.

* Avoid bringing a crowd, but visiting with at least one other person gives the caregiver a chance to go out with a friend, knowing that another trusted person is there for the patient’s needs.

* Instead of asking, “What can I do?” offer to grocery shop, go to the post office, do laundry or cook a meal that you can bring over.

* Be a good listener. Whether in person or by phone, sometimes just having a contact to the outside world is all the caregiver needs to help cope with that day’s burden.

* Be alert for signs of caregiver stress, such as denial, social withdrawal, sleeplessness, or lack of concentration.

* Offer to spend the night so the caregiver can get some rest. Lack of sleep can quickly lead to a deteriorating situation or a health crisis. Make sure the caregiver and the patient are discussing any sleep issues with their doctors.

* Research adult medical day services in your community and share that information with the caregiver. These medically supervised programs can actually help extend the time that the patient can remain at home.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Does Stress Lead To Cancer?

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Whether due to work, family or finances, most of us have felt stressed at some point in our lives. And to make matters worse, some studies have shown that stress can lead to depression, anxiety, or a weakened immune system. But can it cause cancer?

The National Cancer Institute says no. There is no evidence that stress alone can lead to cancer. But, habits such as smoking, drinking, and eating unhealthy foods may be linked to cancer. These are often done in response to high stress events.

Bottom line:cope with stress in healthy ways, such as exercising, deep breathing, meditation, and getting help from your doctor, if needed. Lowering your overall stress levels will help you feel your best emotionally and physically. And, don’t worry about whether the occasional stressful event may cause cancer. The experts say it won’t.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026