Stress and a lack of sleep over fears about the coronavirus could weaken people's immune system, a University of Newcastle, NSW, nursing academic says.
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"There's a lot of stress at the moment around the coronavirus," Associate Professor Pamela Van Der Riet said.
"The more stressed you get, the more likely your immune system will be affected."
Professor Van Der Riet, who runs the university's Complementary Therapies in Healthcare course, urged people to look after themselves.
"We need to be even more protective of our health and wellbeing," she said.
Good diet and exercise can protect people's immune system and "help fight infection".
She said controlled trials suggest that yoga can reduce anxiety and stress and help treat hypertension [high blood pressure].
"Yoga is a mind-body intervention that works very effectively for stress, wellbeing and improving the immune system. That's well documented in research."
Getting good sleep is also important for immune health.
"A lot of people aren't sleeping well at the moment because they're so stressed about themselves or their family members contracting the coronavirus," she said.
"If you don't get enough sleep it affects your immune system and leaves you vulnerable."
Some herbs and supplements are marketed as helping people improve sleep and immunity, but this should be discussed with a GP, naturopath or pharmacist.
"There are herbs like chamomile tea for anxiety and insomnia. Or aromatherapy like lavender can help people relax. This is just practical stuff," Professor Van Der Riet said.
She urged people to do calming things before bed. The aim was to trigger the parasympathetic nervous system [rest and digest], rather than the sympathetic nervous system [fight or flight].
"It's not helpful to look at news on the coronavirus before you go to bed. You won't get a good night's sleep if you do that," she said.
She urged people with chronic disease and hypertension to be particularly mindful about looking after their wellbeing.
"Try not to focus too much on the negativity and be confident that we have a wonderful healthcare system in Australia," she said.
She encouraged people to consider meditation "as a tool for developing mindfulness and positive thinking".
"It's being mindful about things like washing your hands properly and frequently, eating well and getting good sleep," she said.
She said meditation was good for "achieving relaxation and dealing with stress".
"That's well documented in the literature," she said.
"It regulates the hippocampus and the amygdala [parts of the brain that involve emotions, including fear and anxiety]."
While it was important to stay informed, she urged people not to become obsessed with media reports about coronavirus.
"Spending your days feeling stressed and checking mortality figures is not helpful," she said.
