Children ReportAnxiety-related Disorders as Board Examination Nears; Doctors at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Pune Advocate Stress Management

2024-04-06 01:47:03 Health and Fitness

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Pune, Feb 2017: With board examination round the corner, an increasing number of children and adolescents in the city are reporting stress and anxiety related symptoms such as psychogenic fevers, sleep disorders, nausea, dizziness and stomach discomfort.
Doctors at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Pune say they have witnessed a rise in children visiting the hospital to seek help for anxiety disorders over the past two weeks. Interestingly, mental stress and anxiety manifests itself in widely varied forms among different individuals, with symptoms often confused and treated for other illnesses.
While some children complain of stomach discomfort, diarrhea, pain or acid reflux, other children might experience conditions such as headaches, dizziness, nausea or vomiting. Yet others might develop stress-related psychogenicfevers or insomnia and other sleep disorders.Cognitive and emotional symptoms include severe apprehension, fear of failure, mind turning blank before the exam and even panic attacks.
?Despite steps being taken in recent years to lessen board exam related stress, some children still experience anxiety at this time of the year. Over the past two weeks, we have been seeing an increasing number of children being brought by parents with physical symptoms that can be traced to mental stress. Recurrent fever, insomnia, persistent headaches and inability to concentrate are some common symptoms. Some children are so anxious that they have elevated rates of heartbeat and experience episodes of fatigue and shortness of breath. Some complain of emotional problems such as a feeling of imminent doom and a constant urge to cry,? Says Dr. Archana Kher Consultant Paediactric at Columbia Asia Pune
Doctors say most children experience some form of stress butthe ability to cope with it varies from child to child. While some children have the mental strength to take it in their stride, others need emotional help to deal with it. This ability also varies depending upon the environment at home and their relationship with their parents.
?The expectations of parents and teachers, the high cut off rates in colleges that worry students about their prospects, and peer pressure all contribute to anxiety among students.Often parents tend to put excessive pressure on their children (sometimes unknowingly) by constantly emphasizing the need for good results. There is also a trend in most schools to portray board exam results as a ?make or break?. While we must all encourage students to study well and focus on learning, we must also assure them that board exam results are not the final frontier by any standard,? adds Dr. Archana Kher Consultant Paediactric at Columbia Asia Pune.
?We try to help such children by providing them counseling sessions, medication to deal with physical symptoms and sometimes even anti anxiety medication. But most important is to help them overcome the fear of examination by helping them look beyond Boards. We also try to educate them about numerous career prospects that await them even if they fail to score high in Board examinations,? explains Dr. Archana Kher Consultant Paediactric at Columbia Asia Pune.
Much like they provide regular tests and practice sessions to prepare them for board examination, schools must also focus on helping students learn tricks of stress management. Parents must also try to assure their children that they will not be judged depending upon their board exam scores.
?We must understand that for children Board exams are like a first big test in life and they tend to look at it like a major hurdle. We believe schools must also organize counseling sessions during the peak preparation weeks to help students cope with the high levels of stress. As for parents, they must not dismiss any anxiety related symptoms being displayed by their children and must not shy away from taking medical help. If the child is not looking his/her normal self, is appearing anxious, worried or withdrawn or is suffering from any physical symptoms such as headaches or nausea, make sure you immediately seek help before the condition worsens,? explains Dr. Archana Kher Consultant Paediactric at Columbia Asia Pune.

Here are some tips to deal with exam stress:
? Complete work on the subjects you find most difficult. Once you have covered the toughest subject, your mind will feel much relived and relaxed and help you focus better on other areas

? Sleep well. Maintaining a regulated sleep cycle is crucial to mental and physical health. You might be tempted to staying awake all night to finish off your studies but this will negatively impact your study the following day, and will have a cascading effect. Particularly a day before your exam you must make sure to sleep well

? Take out time for other activities also. A 15 minute break from study to listen to your favorite song or indulge in any hobby will help re-energize your mind and also help relieve stress

? Eat well and eat healthy food. Give up all junk food, and take to a nutritious diet full of fruits and vegetables. Healthy diet helps improve mental concentration

? Take out a few minutes daily for exercise. Take a quick walk or jog in the park or indulge in a few minutes of cycling daily. Exercise is the best stress busting mechanism.

? Do not be embarrassed to talk to your parents if you feel that anxiety is getting the better of you

About Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. is the only company in India to utilize 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) route in the hospital sector.

About Columbia Asia Group of Companies The Columbia Asia Group is owned by more than 150 private equity companies, fund management organizations and individual investors. The group currently operates eleven facilities in India and has presence in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Mysore, Patiala and Pune. The company also operates hospitals in Malaysia (11), Vietnam (3), and Indonesia (3). The Indian management operations are managed from its office in Bangalore.