What is the ‘let-down effect’? The reason you get sick on holiday

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So you’ve been counting right down to your holiday – when you’ll lastly have the probability to step off the hamster wheel and calm down.

Except, no sooner have you checked in at your resort than you end up reaching for the headache tablets or tissues, as a niggling chilly or migraine takes maintain.

Sound acquainted? If it seems like you out of the blue get unwell when you lastly hit the pause button, you’re not imagining it – there’s even a medical time period for it.

The ‘let-down effect’

“This is known as the ‘let-down effect’,” says Dr Suhail Hussain, a private doctor and personal dwelling visiting GP. “When the body is used to functioning on high levels of [stress hormones] cortisol and adrenaline and they suddenly decrease, our immune system is exposed and then we’re prone to minor infections and excessive tiredness.

“Pain and muscle aches also increase – adrenaline increases muscle tension, so imagine a rubber band always pulled tight, what happens when you let go?

“There may also be a spike in mental health problems, such as acute anxiety and panic attacks. Flare-ups in pre-existing chronic conditions is also a common phenomenon, for example migraine and asthma attacks,” he provides.

The ‘let-down effect’ can strike after a quick interval of intense stress, comparable to after exams or finishing a challenge, and after constructive high-stress occasions, like planning a marriage. And for many individuals, it hits when you lastly get to place down your to-do listing and go on holiday.

What’s the cope with stress hormones?

Stress hormones serve an essential goal and we want them to operate, so that they’re not at all times dangerous information. “Basically, we are programmed to respond to danger – ‘fight or flight’ – so in stressful situations, there is an increase in levels of stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol,” Dr Hussain explains.

“Together, these two hormones control mood, motivation and fear. In periods of stress or heightened anxiety, adrenaline levels rise – causing an overdrive of the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in racing pulse, high blood pressure, sweating, etc.”

Stress hormones additionally play a task in regulating irritation, metabolising vitamins, and aiding immune operate, sleep and power. But ideally, they wouldn’t keep at raised ranges for too lengthy.

“If these hormones are always ‘on’, then inflammatory processes are accelerated and your immune system is impaired,” says Dr Hussain. “Consistently high levels of cortisol in your blood can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system.”

Can you keep away from the ‘let-down effect’?

Dr Hussain says: “You can try to lessen the impact of the ‘let-down effect’ by de-stressing slowly. Instead of crashing and burning, try to maintain a bit of activity on the holiday or some degree of exercise, such that there’s not a massive decrease in stress hormone levels, meaning you can allow the body to acclimatise slowly.”

But not getting sick on holiday might not be the solely concern right here. If your physique is giving you warning indicators that continual stress is taking a toll, it’s essential to hear.

“Constantly running on high levels of stress is very bad for you. It leads to the problems mentioned above but also longer-term consequences, such as plaque formation in arteries, leading to coronary events and strokes, depression and anxiety, and even addiction. Levels of obesity are also increased,” explains Dr Hussain.

He says indications to look out for might embrace: “Recurrent illnesses, feeling tired, lack of energy. Poor response to glucose, leading to type 2 diabetes, elevated blood pressure and disruption of the sleep-wake cycle.”

If you have any considerations, examine in along with your GP. And Dr Hussain suggests discovering methods to make managing stress in on a regular basis life.

“Build in regular relaxation to your daily schedule. Get out to walk, spend time in the sun, observe nature. Listen to relaxing music. Make a regular sleep schedule, read, spend time with family and loved ones,” he says. “Don’t just work and work and work for the expectation of a big holiday at the end of it.”