BY CHERYL LIM

THE recession is making Singaporeans sick.

Doctors my paper spoke to said that they have seen a marked increase of up to 30 per cent in patients with ailments they believe are caused by the recession.

Like others around the world, Singaporeans are feeling the toll on their health.

In the United States, a study by the National Sleep Foundation found that nearly one in three Americans is literally losing sleep over the economy - a total of 100 million people.

Dr AlvinWong ofWell Family Clinic and Surgery said: 'I've seen a 30 per cent rise in patients with what I think are recession- related ailments - body aches, headaches, insomnia - since the recession six months ago.'

Many of these patients are PMETs - professionals, managers, executives and technicians - whose health is affected because of overtime hours since the downturn. Others have worried themselves sick.

The doctors, like Dr Clarence Yeo from Killiney Family and Wellness Clinic, explain that stress and worries reduce the ability to sleep well.

'Insomnia is a general physiological and psychological response to stress,' he said.

Coupled with overworking, a lack of rest and poor sleep quality upset the immune system to make patients more prone to upper- respiratory-tract infections like influenza and coughs, headaches and body aches.

Dr Wong said the worst-case scenario is when 'stress-related disorders develop into severe depression, chronic sleep disorder and eventually psychosis - a loss of contact with reality'.

What can these patients do in the meantime?

'Get plenty of rest, including eight hours of sleep, call a helpline like Samaritans of Singapore if need be, and talk to a doctor you can trust,' he said.

For more my paper stories click here.

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