by Marco Lombardozzi
A new syndrome has recently been observed in the international medical scenario: post-pandemic stress. This derives from the better known post-traumatic stress which indicates a mental condition that manifests itself in people who have lived a traumatic experience such as a war, an assault, an earthquake. Or any dramatic event. It is characterized by the presence of thoughts and flashbacks that make you relive the trauma, by the tendency to avoid related topics and situations, by difficulty sleeping, irritability, anxiety and depression.
According to some researchers, even the Covid-19 pandemic could constitute, for some people, a traumatic experience that could favor the development of symptoms of this type and for this reason we speak of post-pandemic stress.
A 2006 analysis investigating the presence of this disorder in a sample of SARS survivors, for example, found 46,2% and 38,8% of people with symptoms of post-traumatic stress, three months and twelve months after recovery, respectively. A study on the effects of the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in the general population in Sierra Leone, on the other hand, highlighted a 76,4% of people reported at least one stress symptom ( Gao H, Hui W, Lan X. “A follow-up study of post-traumatic stress disorder of SARS patients after discharge.” Chinese J Rehabilitation Med. 2006; 21:1003–4+1026)
After the first lockdown for Covid 19 a survey found that 12,4% reported depressive symptoms, 17,4% reported anxious symptoms, and 41,6% reported feeling stressed (Fiorillo A, Sampogna G, Giallonardo V, et al. “Effects of the lockdown on the mental health of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy).
Therefore, it is legitimate and necessary to observe patients also due to post-pandemic stress and, where diagnosed, identify the most suitable treatments.
For those who always try to prescribe natural therapies (phytotherapy, nutraceuticals, supplements), let's see which remedies have proven to be most useful for this new syndrome.
Phosphatidylserine and homotaurine must be chosen when the traumatic component related to the memory deficit and mental asthenia. Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid that has the property of reducing cortisol levels in stress, allows more effective communication between neurons by facilitating the conduction of nerve impulses, has proven effective in ADHD (attention deficit) and Alzheimer's. Homotaurine is a substance present in a type of red marine algae. It has a strong neuroprotective action, its intake, for more than 3 months, seems to prevent the volumetric reduction of the hippocampus (brain seat of the emotional filter and memory). For this reason it can be effective in post-pandemic stress disorder because it acts on the structure that first receives the emotional impact of the trauma.
Another natural product, in this case more suitable in trough post traumatic, consists of Arginine, Rhodiola, Withania, Klamath algae and Magnesium. In particular, Withania is a plant with antidepressant action and improves cognitive functionsRhodiola has an action antidepressant. Magnesium improves the function of neurons and synaptic transmission between them. Among its many properties, Klamath algae plays an important role antidepressant action.
We are facing new pathologies and new challenges await us. Among these is post-pandemic stress. Natural medicine is ready to respond adequately to this challenge.
