What Is a Stress Test?

What Is a Stress Test? Everyone knows it is hard to avoid being stressed in today's world, but most people don't know that they can actually get a test done to confirm how capable their heart is when it comes to dealing with stress. What is a stress test? Most people ask the question these days. Your doctor performs this test to find out more about your cardiovascular health. It actually tells the capacity of your heart to take the stress and still perform in a healthy way. Yes, there's a limit to the stress your heart can handle, and when it crosses the limit, you will notice issues, such as abnormal rhythm and more. What is a stress testand why do you need it? Let's find out the answer here.

What Is a Stress Test?


Many physicians referred to stress test as an exercise stress test. They perform this test to get more info about how your heart performs during physical activity. The more you exercise, the more important it becomes for your heart to pump blood faster. This test can also go a long way in highlighting certain cardiovascular problems that are hard to identify otherwise.

Your doctor may ask for a stress test if they suspect a coronary artery disease or notice irregular heart rhythm. Sometimes, you may have to go for an exercise test when you have already developed a heart condition.

Why Do You Need a Stress Test?
People have many questions about a stress test. How does your doctor perform it? How long does a stress test take? And of course, why do you actually need a stress test? Here are some specific reasons why your doctor asks you to go for an exercise stress test:

• The test tells your doctor if your heart's getting enough blood during increased levels of activity.


• The test helps your doctor to evaluate how your heart is responding to medications used for ischemia or Angina.


• The test highlights any cardiovascular diseases, including a coronary Heart disease.


• The test confirms if the procedures used to improve blood flow within your heart are proving effective or not.


• The test also helps find out how the valves of your heart are functioning.


• The test makes it possible to develop a safe and effective exercise program.

How to Prepare for a Stress Test?
You can do the following before you go for the stress test:

• You should stop eating anything at least four hours before your test – you can however drink water.


• You should stop drinking caffeinated drink at least 12 hours before your test.


• You should avoid taking specific heart medications on the test day, unless your doctor has suggested otherwise. Some of these medications include Isosorbide mononitrate, Isosorbide dinitrate, and Nitroglycerin. Be sure to consult your doctor before you stop taking these drugs.


• Don’t forget your inhaler if you use one – you may need it during the test.


• You should wear comfortable clothes and soft-soled shoes.

How Is a Stress Test Done?
The first question people ask is, "What is a stress test?" The other common question is about how your doctor performs it. It is basically a two-step procedure and starts with an EKG while you haven't yet started any physical activity. Here's more about it:

Your doctor will attach electrodes or sticky patches to your chest and shoulders. These patches record your electrocardiogram when your doctor performs the echocardiography test. It is followed by ten minutes of walking a treadmill – you will start slowly and increase your speed gradually. They will repeat the EKG once you have reached 85% of your maximum heart rate. Overall, it takes about 30 minutes to get the test done. They may continue to take measurements after the test is finished – you will be asked to stand still for a few seconds while they take measurements and notice your heart rate and breathing pattern.

Your doctor will keep you under observation while you're recovering from the physical activity. There's usually no need to do the second step if your doctor has not ordered a Nuclear Medicine Stress test that involve taking dye for a resting scan.

Are There any Risks with a Stress Test?
After getting the answer to the question, "What is a stress test?" many people want to know if it is safe to go for one such test. The simple answer is that the exercise stress is usually quite safe and you don't have to deal with any complications because you're under strict observation. Still, you may need to know about certain complications that may arise in some cases. For instance:

• Your Blood Pressure may drop quickly while you're still involved in a physical activity or have just finished it. This may make you feel a bit dizzy – you may even faint if it falls quickly.


• You may notice irregular heartbeats during the test. This is usually the outcome of the exercise you're performing. The issue resolves after you've stopped exercising.


• You may already have a chronic heart condition, so in rare cases, you may have to deal with a myocardial infarction.

To avoid any complications, it is important that you work with an experienced healthcare provider throughout the test.

What Is a Nuclear Stress Test?

What Is a Nuclear Stress Test?

In order to know the size of your heart's chambers, your doctor may recommend a nuclear stress test. What is a nuclear stress test? The test provides pictures of your heart while you are resting and after you have done some exercise. A nuclear stress test will provide important information about the size of your heart's chamber as well as any damage done to the heart muscle. It also helps determine how well your heart is pumping blood. Your doctor may ask you to take a stress test when you have Peripheral Artery Disease or you are diabetic and over age 40.

What Is a Nuclear Stress Test?
A nuclear stress test works by measuring the blood flow to your heart. It measures the flow of blood at rest and while you make your heart work harder through physical exertion. The test provides images of low blood flow areas, identifying damaged heart muscle and other issues. Your doctor may recommend a stress test for the following reasons:

• They suspect you have symptoms associated with Coronary Artery Disease, such as chest pain or shortness of breath and they want to confirm it through a stress test.


• They want to examine the shape and size of the heart to confirm if its size has increased and if it is pumping enough blood.


• They ask for a test to help treat heart conditions, such as arrhythmia.

Are There Any Side Effects of Nuclear Stress Test?
The test is general safe with little to no complications. There are certain risks of complications that happen rarely. For instance:

• You may develop an allergic reaction to the radioactive dye that needs to be injected in your arm during the test.


• You may have to deal with arrhythmias that causes abnormal heart rhythms, but this issue usually resolves after some time.


• You may experience some chest pain after you are given a medication to stress your heart. Tell your doctor about how you feel.


• A Heart Attack is extremely rare but is possible.

How Much Does Nuclear Stress Cost?
You will spend about $200 on a basic exercise cardiac stress test. Eco stress tests are usually more expensive and may cost you about $1500. Some doctors may go for a test that utilizes a radioactive dye to illuminate how well your heart is working. Such tests usually cost about $630. These are just average figures and you may need to consult your doctor for the exact cost of your test.

How to Prepare for a Nuclear Stress Test
Now that you have the answer to your question "What is a nuclear stress test", you may want to know how to prepare yourself before undergoing one. Here are a few things to remember.

• You can eat or drink but try not to have anything at least 4 hours prior to your test.


• Take your medications with small sips of water.


• Do not have any product containing caffeine at least 24 hours before your test. Avoid taking any OTC medications that may contain caffeine.


• Keep a copy of all your medications with you – be sure to include OTC medications and supplements as well.


• Do not take theophylline for 48 hours before the test if you have Asthma.


• Ask your physician about the amount of insulin you should take before the test if you have Diabetes.


• Do not take Nitroglycerin, Isosorbide monoitrate, Isosorbide dinitrate and any other heart medication that your doctor asks you to avoid on the day of the test.

What Is the Procedure of Nuclear Stress Test?
What is a nuclear stress test? It is a common question, but people also want to know the procedure of the test. Here is more about the cardiac stress test procedure:

1. Inject the First Tracer
The procedure starts with you receiving an injection thallium. This radioactive tracer circulates in your body for 5-10 minutes and prepares your heart for the test. The resting portion of cardiac stress test will take about half an hour to complete. This helps determine the resting blood flow to your heart.

2. Monitor Your Heart Rhythm While Exercising
Your doctor will place small pads called electrodes on your chest to check your heart during physical exertion. An electrocardiogram will be utilized to monitor your heart rhythm during the test. You will be walking on a treadmill for some time. You usually need to continue with exercise for as long as you can. Your doctor will place an intravenous tube in your arm about a minute before you complete your exercise session.

3. Inject the Second Tracer
Sometimes, you cannot exercise hard due to some previous medical problems. If that is the case, your doctor will replace your exercise with a special medication, such as dobutamine, adenosine, or persantine that mimics exercise and puts stress on your heart for some time. You will receive the second radiotracer during the infusion of the drug.

4. Take Pictures of Your Heart
The pictures are taken about 15-45 minutes of getting the second tracer. The imaging session will take another half an hour and shows the stress distribution of blood flow throughout your heart muscle.

What Are the Possible Results of a Nuclear Stress Test?
You may already know the answer to your question "What is a nuclear stress test". Do you know how to interpret the results? Your doctor will talk to you and discuss the result after test. The test may show:

• Normal blood flow at rest and during activity: It means your heart is functioning normally and you do not have coronary artery disease. Your doctor usually does not require further tests for confirmation.


• Normal blood flow at rest but abnormality during activity: It means your heart muscle is not getting enough blood during physical activity, which could be due to blocked arteries.


• Abnormal blood flow at rest and during activity: It means your heart never gets enough blood, which increases the risk of a heart attack. It usually means you have had a heart attack in the past or you have severe coronary artery disease.


• Cold spots in images: These cold spots occur in areas where radioactive dye could not reach and this usually shows there is scar tissue.

What Does a Stress Test Show?

What Does a Stress Test Show?

A stress test, better known as exercise stress test, is performed by a doctor or a trained technician to reveal the amount of stress that the heart can manage before showing symptoms of an abnormal rhythm or signs of ischemia (compromised blood flow to heart). During this test, you will have to walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike, and gradually increase the difficulty, while your Blood Pressure, heart rate and electrocardiogram are monitored. But what does a stress test show? Let's get close and find out.

Why Do I Need A Stress Test?
Stress test or exercise stress test aims at gathering and providing information on how well the heart responds to stress physiologically by assessing heart rate and blood pressure changes under stress. But, the burning question here is why do I need a stress test? Well, stress test can be used to:

• Determine if there is adequate blood flow to heart muscles during activities;


• Determine your chances of suffering from coronary Heart Disease and if you require further evaluation;


• Assess the effectiveness of the drugs you've been taking to keep control over Angina and ischemia;


• Assess the effectiveness of procedures done in coronary disease patients to improve blood flow;


• Look for abnormal heart rhythms;


• Assist you in devising a safe exercise plan;


• Check for improperly functioning valves.

What Does A Stress Test Show?
During a stress test, a doctor will gently clean 10 small areas on your chest and then place small, sticky and flat patches, called electrodes on the said places. The 10 patches are linked to an EKG or electrocardiograph monitor to record the electrical activity of your heart during the test.

Stress test is used to show the function of your heart during exercises and how healthy it is by monitoring heart's electrical activity, blood pressure and other numbers on the EKG.

• In case of normal standard test results, further evaluation is not needed. However, despite a normal standard test result, you’re still advised to go for further evaluation due to symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath.


• An abnormal test means improper heart blood supply, which may indicate an underlying Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and at times is a sign of poor health and physical fitness. If you have an abnormal result, or are unable to exercise, an imaging stress test is the next step. Although imaging stress tests are expensive, they can accurately locate the parts of heart that are not contracting strongly, are not getting enough blood, or are dead.

What Are The Types of Stress Tests?
Now that you know the answers to "What does a stress test show?" and why you need it, let's briefly discuss the different types of stress tests that can be performed:

• Treadmill stress test: if you have a normal ECG and can walk, then you're fit for this test. You’re being monitored while walking on the treadmill. Pain or a change in ECG can indicate a compromised blood flow to heart.


• Dobutamine or Adenosine stress test is an option if you're unable to exercise. This involves administration of a drug which elicits a response in heart similar to that in exercise. This way the doctor can see your heart's performance under stress without having you exercise.


• Stress echocardiogramstands out by revealing lack of blood flow, which other heart tests fail to show. An echo is basically a graphical presentation of the heart's movement. It visualizes the heart activity (pumping action) under stress.


• Nuclear stress test involves administration of a radioactive substance into heart, which emits rays and can be identified by a special camera. It gives clear pictures of heart tissues (at rest and during exercise) that can be seen on a monitor. This test exactly locates the functioning and non-functioning parts of heart along with the areas where blood supply is reduced.

Are There Any Risks?
Since you have known "What does a stress test show?" you should also be informed of the risks of this test. Stress test is a relatively safe test and complications are rare; however, risks and complications are part and parcel of medical procedures. And potential risks of this test are:

• Low blood pressure: Blood pressure may drop during the test and you may feel dizzy and even faint. This however resolves as soon as you stop exercising.


• Arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm in simple words, also gets back to normal on stopping the exercise.


• Heart Attack or a myocardial infarction is an extremely rare occurrence but could be stimulated by the test.

Know the purpose and methods of performing a stress test from the following video:

Stress Fracture in Foot

Stress Fracture in Foot

If you play basketball regularly or you are a dancer by profession, the chances are you already know how painful a Stress Fracture can be. Although it is just a hairline crack, it can be extremely painful, especially when in a bone of weight bearing use such as the foot. If left untreated, a stress fracture in foot can become serious. It is possible to treat your stress fracture but you will have to be patient and take several steps to accelerate recovery.

How Do You Know If You Have Stress Fracture in Foot?

You will experience certain symptoms when you have a stress fracture. For instance, there will pain when you apply weight and that pain may go away after resting. The pain you experience usually becomes worse over the course of the day. You will notice tenderness in the affected area with occasional bruising and swelling outside of the ankle.

Keep in mind that even when you have a stress fracture in your foot, you should still be able to move your ankle and foot around. It means that stress fractures usually do not immobilize you, and that is a major reason why many sufferers do not seek immediate treatment. Many people continue to run on their injured foot and end up making their fracture worse.

Why Does It Occur?
You may get a stress fracture in foot due to a number of different reasons. For instance:

Repetitive Impact on Foot
Your bones have a limit to bear pressure, but when you exceed that limit constantly, this leads to an imbalance between the resorption and growth of bone. Repetitive force damages your bone cells, but your body adds new cells when you are at rest. If your body does not get enough rest for recovery, you will continue to lose bone cells that will lead to "bone fatigue". This will eventually cause tiny cracks to develop in those fatigued bones, which turn into stress fractures with time.

Sudden Increase in Activity
You may develop it when you suddenly increase the number of days you exercise each week. Similarly, you may develop a stress fracture when you suddenly increase the duration of activity – such as running or walking longer distances for extended hours.

Other Causes
There are many other factors that contribute to the development of stress fractures. For instance, you may develop a stress fracture in foot due to your footwear, exercise equipment, exercise surface, and insufficient rest periods. Corns, Bunions, Calluses may alter your gait and lead to the development of stress fractures. Certain conditions such as Osteoporosis, rheumatoid Arthritis, and neuropathic foot can also cause a stress fracture.

What to Do When You Develop a Stress Fracture in Foot
Do not continue with your activity despite feeling pain in your foot. The fact that you can move your foot does not mean you do not have a fracture or anything serious.

1. See a Doctor
Be sure to see your doctor as soon as you can to know how severe the fracture is. Ignoring the pain and continuing with your routine may break your bone completely.

Your doctor will conduct a physical exam and may even ask for specific imaging tests such as x-rays and MRIs to diagnose a fracture. Once they confirm you have a stress fracture in foot, they will suggest the following treatment options.

2. RICE
You should take plenty of rest, apply ice to your affected food, compress it, and keep it elevated.

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  Avoid putting weight on your foot for some time and wear a thick-soled cork sandal instead of a thin slipper.


• Apply cold packs for 15-20 minutes several times a day and then wrap the area lightly in a soft bandage.


• Moreover, keeping your foot higher than your heart level will help reduce swelling and pain. Your doctor may give you pain relievers like ibuprofen if you have severe pain.

3. Physical Therapy
Your doctor may recommend the use of crutches for some time. This ensures you do not put excessive weight on your affected foot and give it time to heal. They may also try some other options. For instance:

• You will have to switch to modified activities to limit the amount of stress placed on your leg for at least 6-8 weeks until your fracture heals completely. Cycling and swimming are good form of exercises for someone with a stress fracture in foot.


• You will need to wear protective footwear for support. This may include a wooden-soled sandal, a stiff-soled shoe, etc.


• You will have to apply a cast if you have a stress fracture on the outer side of the foot. The casting will help keep your bones in a fixed position.

4. Surgical Treatment
If these treatment options do not work, you will have to undergo a surgical procedure called internal fixation. It involves inserting a fastener to support the bone. Plates, screws, and pins are also used to keep your small bones in place.

How to Prevent Stress Fracture in Foot

• Do not stick to one activity when exercising. Cross training helps avoid overstressing specific areas of your body. If you run a lot, be sure to mix it with cycling, swimming or some weight training.


• Buy proper footwear that fits you well and provides you with some support while running or engaging in physical activities.


• Consume more vitamin D and calcium-rich foods to keep your bones strong and healthy.


• Talk to your doctor if you are losing bone density due to aging.


• Always increase frequency and duration of a new exercise as slowly as possible. A sudden change in frequency can always shock your bones and muscles and lead to a stress fracture. Talk to your doctor or work with a sports medicine specialist to understand how to increase your level of activity.


• Avoid smoking to prevent stress fractures. If you already have a fracture, smoking will hamper healing. It happens due to the presence of nicotine that keeps the bone from healing.

How to Make Stress Balls

How to Make Stress Balls

Want some help getting over the massive stress that life can sometimes bring? Learning to make stress balls can hold you in good stead over the years. You can make your own with just a few common household items. Here’s how so that you can stay calm throughout the day.

How to Make Stress Balls: Step-by-Step Guide
Learning how to make items to relieve stress levels, like stress balls, is an important skill to have. Here’s how to make them out of balloon and other items.

1. How to Make Stress Balls with Flour/Sand/Rice


Items needed: To make stress balls, you will need 4 latex balloons (preferably those that are quite stretchy), at least ¼ cup of flour, sand or rice (your choice), a ¼ cup measuring cup, a funnel, scissors, a pencil, and a Sharpie marker.

Steps:

• Start by blowing up the latex balloon, then allow it to deflate.


• Attach it firmly to the funnel, then using the measuring cup, begin feeding the flour, sand or rice into the balloon.


• As you do this, the filler might clog – if it does, gently insert the pencil into the funnel to clear it. Fill the balloon to the neck, then stop filling and remove the balloon from the funnel. Be careful not to spill it!


• Tie the balloon to keep the filler inside.


• Then take another latex balloon and cut the end of it off with the scissors, just to the point where it can be easily stretched over the first balloon. Do this again with a third balloon, and with a fourth if you feel it necessary for more security.

Tips: You can use beans if you prefer, or even bird seed. If you want to make the stress ball pretty, you can cut designs into the third and fourth balloon – just make sure the balloons are each different colors. Use the Sharpie marker to draw on the stress ball. The following video is a clear tutorial and also shows cute designs to paint on your stress ball:

2. How to Make Stress Balls with Playdough

Items needed: Playdough, wooden rolling pin, balloons, plastic tube,

Steps: Blow up the balloons, then let the air out so they deflate. Roll the playdough out with wooden rolling pin until it is soft and pliable. Then roll the playdough up into a tube, so that it is easier to fit into the balloon. Open up the balloon as best you can and work the playdough into it. It helps to have more than one person doing this; one holds the balloon while the other pushes the playdough into it.

Once this is done, close up the balloon and you’re done!

Tips: Since playdough isn’t messy, you probably don’t need to use more than one balloon, unless you want to decorate the stress ball with cut-out shapes. You can also use a Sharpie to write on the balloon. If you happen to notice a little bit of air trapped in the ball, simply untie the top and push it out. Soon you will have no air in there at all. Finally, remember that playdough might dry out quickly, so for a stress ball that lasts longer, go with flour, sand or other ingredients to make it.

Now you know how to make stress balls – an essential part of keeping your cool in any situation!

Top 12 Causes of Stress at Work

Top 12 Causes of Stress at Work

Stress seems to come with the territory at work. Even if you love your job, there are still many causes of stress at work. Sometimes that stress takes the form of a tight deadline or a brief misunderstanding with a colleague. These things happen, and are considered part of the work life. But when stress becomes so bad that it makes you dread going to work, or the stress begins to affect your personal relationships and body health, it’s time to take a step back and figure out ways to deal with it. It all starts with figuring out the causes and then dealing with them, one at a time.

Causes of Stress in the Workplace
Stress at work can be fleeting, or it might be chronic, with no end in sight. Here are some things that can lead to stress in your daily work.

1. Overload
Taking on far too much, or being assigned an avalanche of work, can lead to burnout. Being overloaded with assignments, impossible deadlines, projects of immense magnitude or importance, and not having enough staff to help are nightmares.

2. Lack of Control
When you don’t have much control over your work life or much input in decisions, you might begin to feel helpless. That lack of control can lead you to feel as though the work is too much to handle, like you are simply a cog in the wheel and don’t have much worth to your supervisors.

3. Poor Work Relationships
When work relationships are good, things are wonderful. One bad relationship, however, can spoil the entire day. Dealing with those who are 'out to get you' or don’t want to help you succeed – or don’t even want to pull their weight – can drag you down with them.

4. No Sense of Job Security
It is one of the main causes of stress at work. When you feel as though your job is on the line and today might be the day you get fired, walking into the office becomes more of a struggle. Fearing the future job change, worrying about new management, and otherwise wondering how you will survive a downsizing can lead to serious stress and even Depression.

5. Work-Life Imbalance
Do you feel like you work all the time and have no time for yourself? Do you miss your family and believe that you are just a paycheck to keep things rolling? Do you worry that your kids won’t know you? Losing a work-life balance can affect every part of your life.

6. Lack of Resources
When you are handed a big assignment but not given the resources to help you complete it, you can feel adrift and lost. Receiving adequate training is crucial, and if you do not, you might get a bad review. But sometimes, getting that training is entirely out of your hands.

7. Low Pay and Benefits
Financial reward matters greatly, especially when dealing with a less-than-ideal situation at work. As prices go up, wages should go up too; but unfortunately, they might not. This can make you feel as though you are doing more work for less, which can be an awful place to be.

8. Demanding Boss
The leader of the work can have a great influence on how employees handle themselves and their jobs. A boss who is constantly berating you, holding threats of firing over your head, or otherwise making you feel devalued can be one of the most serious causes of stress at work.

9. No Appreciation
Affirmation of the good things and constructive criticism for the not-so-good things are the key to helping employees grow. A job that never includes positive feedback means that you will eventually deal with wondering what comes next – that anxiety can make you feel awful about going to work.

10. Management Changes
Big changes in the organizational structure can lead to shakeups all the way down to the bottom, which can mean jobs are lost, restructured, pay rates change, and workloads shift. Since you can’t control these changes and just have to deal with them, there is no doubt that they can make every workday stressful.

11. Random Interruptions
Today’s world is so connected that it can be impossible to focus for an hour at a time. Phone calls, emails, and so many people pulling at your time – and demanding what they need right now – can actually reduce your productivity, leaving you wondering how you will get things all done.

12. Other Causes
There are other problems that might be causes of stress at work, such as having insufficient skills, poor job performance, a job that doesn’t offer changes or promotions, poor physical working conditions, repetitive work, handling difficult clients, facing discrimination, dealing with a long commute, or fearing physical violence.

Strategies to Manage Stress in the Workplace
The good news is that you can take steps to manage the stress so you don’t wind up overwhelmed by it. Here are a few tips to help:

• ŸGet very organized. Learn to keep lists, put things in various folders, and do large jobs based on several deadlines, so as to spread out the workload.


• ŸTake care of yourself. Eat right, exercise, and take time to be alone. Spend time with family and friends in a way that has nothing to do with work, and resolve not to talk about it during that time.


• ŸNever procrastinate. When you do, it only makes things worse a week or two later. Break up large tasks into small portions, and make sure you get a set amount done every day.


• ŸAsk for help. If you simply cannot handle the workload anymore, tell your boss that you are at full capacity. Most should be understanding, especially if there are life circumstances that limit your time and efforts.


• ŸSay no. Learning to say no means that you can say yes to the things that really matter to you and to your productivity. Don’t overcommit.


• ŸFocus hard. Forget multi-tasking. If you are dealing with a project that requires your focus, look at only that, and don’t bother with outside influences, such as emails or other reports that need writing eventually.


• ŸDelegate. The art of delegation can go a long way toward making everyone happy. You get to lessen some of the workload, and another colleague gets to prove himself.


• Talk to human resources. If you are dealing with harassment or discrimination, now is the time to go to HR to talk about the problem. You might be surprised to find you aren’t the only one with an issue.


• ŸBe ready to take action. If the stress is becoming too much to handle, have a back-up plan for what you will do if you must leave your job.


• Get professional counseling. Speaking to someone about what is happening can help you put it all into perspective, and that can make you a better employee, as well as a happier person.

Ways To Reduce Stress During Labor

Ways To Reduce Stress During Labor

The toughest time in any woman’s life is when she goes into labor. It can be a scary experience and it is very natural to feel stressed and anxious. The anxiety and stress can lead to the release of stress hormones which can prolong the labor and aggravate the pain. There are many ways to help reduce stress during labor and it is better if you try to keep yourself calm during this time so that your body has enough energy left to care for the new born baby.

Ways to Reduce Stress During Labor
Try the following nine techniques for a stress-free delivery.

1. Relax Your Muscles
Having tense and stretched muscles does not help during labor. With the techniques of progressive relaxation, you can learn to relax all your muscles and it can be very helpful.

• To start, choose a comfortable place free of any noise or distractions and is neither hot nor too cold.


• You can start from your head and work all the way down or start from your feet and go upwards.


• Make a group of muscles tense for five seconds and during that time breathe in. After that, relax them for ten to fifteen seconds, and exhale. Think that all the stress and tension aregetting out of your body.


• Let that group of muscles stay loose, warm and soft and move to the next group, till you have relaxed all your body muscles.


• After some time of practicing without distractions, you can start practicing with adding distractions. It is important because the labor and delivery areas are full of distractions.

2. Think Creatively
Try to think about happy memories and places with fond memories. This can help you to relax.

• Imagine that you are sitting at a beautiful place with a pond or water feature in front of you and you are throwing small pebbles in it. Try and count the ripples.


• You can also imagine that you are holding your baby and are sitting in a swing at a beautiful park. Try to imagine the warmth of your child in your arms and count the number of times the swing moves.

3. Have a Massage
Among the ways to reduce stress during labor, having a massage holds a very prominent position.

• Light circular massage of the tummy and gentle massage of shoulders, back, legs and feet areextremely effective.


• Temple and head massage helps to reduce stress.


• Massage of lower back with steady and deep pressure is very effective during later stages of labor.

4. Get Water Therapy
Getting into water can work greatduring labor. A bath helps greatly to ease the pain and soothe the muscles but be careful as it is not advised if your water bag has ruptured. Getting into a shower is also a great idea and water splashes on the skin make the brain less responsive to the painful stimuli. You can have a shower even after the water bag has broken and many women have reported that the pain markedly reduces in intensity while having a shower.A hot water bottle placed under the back is also very comforting while some women get great relief with placing ice packs.

5. Listen to Music
Music is always soothing for the soul and this time is not different. Listening to relaxing music of your choice on your MP3 player can reduce your stress levels. There are a lot of relaxation music tracks available on line and in stores. You can start choosing them before hand and make your own playlist to listen to during labor.

6. Find a Focal Point
One of the ways to reduce stress during labor is to find a focal point and concentrate on it. The focal point can be an external focal point, like any object or the eyes of your partner, or an internal focal point like a peaceful landscape or a memory. If you focus on it during labor, it will help you relax and will speed up contractions.

• Concentrate on the focal point and breathe evenly. Whenever you exhale just let your body loose and go limp like a rag doll.


• You might feel warm and your body may feel heavy.


• After some time, rouse yourself. Stretch your legs and arms, take a deep breath and exhale.

7. Practice Acupressure
There are certain pressure points in our body which represent internal organs. You can do a bit of research to find out where to put pressure during labor to ease the pain. You can have your partner apply pressure on your pressure points during labor.

8. Try Self-Hypnosis
Self-hypnosis helps reduce pain and make you relax. You can learn the tried and tested technique of self-hypnosis during pregnancy and try it during labor to ease the process.

9. Practice Breathing Techniques
One of the best ways to reduce stressduring labor is to practice various breathing techniques like:

• The best way is to focus on breathing. Rhythmic breathing is very effective in reducing the chances of any complications and will keep you stress free during delivery.


• In the pushing stage breathing becomes shallow. Try to keep on having long and deep breaths and repeat the word relax with every breath.


• Counting the number of breaths is also very effective, another good way is to inhale, count to five and then exhale slowly while counting the same.


• Try to keep the time of breathing in and breathing out similar and have shortpause between them.


• While experiencing a strong contraction, it is better to breathe in via the nose and breathe out through the mouth.


• It is critical to have proper oxygen supply to the body during labor and holding your breath at any time can be dangerous.


• The best strategy is to practice all these breathing techniques during pregnancy so your body can adapt them as a natural way of breathing and you don’t have to think about breathing during labor.