22 December,2010 07:01 AM IST | | Priyanka Vora
Doctors claim the high levels of stress induced during nuptials is the cause of heart attacks in the city
While marriages are a time of celebration and frolic, it's also the time when stress levels go through the roof as the bride is worried about her trousseau and hair and the parents are worried about the chairs, food and other management details.
Health experts suggest that parents of the bride and groom should not overburden themselves with work
Venkatesh Deshpande (50) learnt this the hard way when he suffered a heart attack just as his daughter Medha had started taking the pheras around the sacred fire.
He had to be rushed to a hospital from the mandap. The baby boomer had to undergo an angioplasty in order to avoid a near fatal situation.
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"The patient had no medical history of a heart ailment. In his case, the frenzy of wedding preparations must have caused the stress, which resulted in the heart attack.
We conducted an angiography on him and he is doing better," said Dr Hasmukh Ravat, cardiologist, Fortis Hospital, Mulund.
After four days of hospitalisation, Deshpande originally a resident of Sawant Wadi in Malvan was fit to return home.
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"The groom's family wanted the marriage to take place in the city and thus we had to bring all our relatives from Sawant Wadi to Mumbai.
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From their accommodation to the marriage rituals everything had to be finalised and this running around might have taken a toll on my health," Deshpande recalls.
However, doctors say that there is nothing shocking about the news, as stress is one of the most common reasons for triggering a heart attack.
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Experts state that stress induced heart attacks are a well-known phenomenon. Dr Samuel Mathew, cardiologist, Lilavati Hospital, said, "Usually every individual's stress levels differ.
Marriages in India tend to make parents go bald, as there are so many rituals and minute details to look at. The stress levels go through the roof causing heart attacks."
In fact, Dr Ravat who treated Deshpande has first hand knowledge of how marriages can affect the health.
"My sister's daughter was set to get married in December and for the last three months she was inviting people personally. Owing to the running around, she too had to undergo an angioplasty two days back.
A lot of happiness and physical activity can increase the secretion of the adrenaline hormone, which can cause a heart attack," he said.
Even medical literature suggests that couples and people involved in the marriage (parents) suffer from a lack of sleep and palpitation resulting in stress.
The couple is young and thus the chances of them falling prey to the stress is lesser than their parents. Also recommendations from relatives, financial constraints cause stress.
Ravat added, "I just treated a young man, who suffered from a massive heart attack just a day before his marriage."
Health experts suggest that parents of the bride and groom should not overload themselves with work.
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Apart from this relaxing before the marriage, and time management are essential. Additionally, one should free them from physical and mental stress and divide the work among others.
Risk Factors
You are at risk if you suffer from:
Blood pressure
Diabetes
Cholesterol
Sugar
Smoking
Obesity
Art imitates life
In the movie Father of the Bride, Steve Martin, the protagonist also faces a similar situation when his daughter decided to get married. The movie mirrors the stress and funny incidents that occur during the preparations of his beloved daughter's wedding.
How to deal with pre-marriage stress
Start the wedding plans early enough
Hire a wedding planner
Do not turn into a bridezilla
Get Rest
