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Eswar Kumar A. et al / IJPPDR / 3(2), 2013, 56-62. e-ISSN: 2249-7625 Print ISSN: 2249-7633 International Journal of Pharmacy Practice & Drug Research www.ijppdr.com ROLE OF FLAVONOIDS IN STRESS DISORDERS *1Eswar Kumar A, 2T. Karunakar, 1K.Naresh, 1Rohan, 3N.Sriram *1Palamuru University, Mahabubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India. 2Dhanvanthri College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mahabubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India. 3Smt.Sarojini Rammulamma College of Pharmacy, Mahabubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India. ABSTRACT Stress is a fact of everyday life. When people reach out for help, they are often dealing with circumstances, situations, and stressors in their lives that leave them feeling emotionally and physically overwhelmed. Stress is the body‟s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. Flavonoids: Common plant pigment compounds that acts as antioxidants, enhance the effects of vitmin C, and strengthen connective tissue around capillaries. Mechanism of flavonoids as antioxidants: Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants against free radicals and are described as free-radical scavengers. Oxidative stress is involved in diverse pathologies, including the spectrums of inflammatory, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease. Green and black tea drinking (rich in a class of flavonoids named catechins) may help protect the aging brain and reduce the incidence of dementia like Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and Parkinson´s disease (PD). Flavonoids in treatment of CVS Studies ensure that long-term administration of flavonoids can decrease, or tend to decrease the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and their consequences. Flavonoids in treatment of memory cognition: Historically, the biological actions of flavonoids to their ability to exert antioxidant actions. Thus Flavonoids are the beneficiary aspect in our life and plays a major key role in stress and stress disorders. Keywords: Flavonoids, Catechins, Antioxidants, Cardiovascular system. INTRODUCTION situations differently and has different coping skills. For Stress is a fact of everyday life. When people this reason, no two people will respond exactly the same reach out for help, they are often dealing with way to a given situation. Stress is caused by an existing circumstances, situations, and stressors in their lives that stress causing factor or stressor. Dealing with a serious leave them feeling emotionally and physically illness or caring for someone who is can cause a great deal overwhelmed. Many people feel that they have very little of stress. resources or skills to deal with the high levels of stress they are experiencing stress, it often isn‟t clear what stress is Stress really about. Many people consider stress to be something Stress is the body‟s reaction to a change that requires a that happens to them, an event such as an injury or a job physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response [2]. loss. Others think that stress is what happens to our body, Sources of Stress mind, and behaviour in response to an event (E.g. heart We can experience stress from four basic sources: pounding, anxiety, or nail biting). While stress does involve events and our response to then, these are not the most The Environment – the environment can bombard you important factors. Our thoughts about the situations in with intense and competing demands to adjust. Examples of which we find ourselves are the critical factor [1]. environmental stressors include weather, noise, crowding, Stress can come from any situation or thought that pollution, traffic, unsafe and substandard housing, and makes you feel frustrated, angry, or anxious. Everyone sees crime [1]. Corresponding Author:- Eswar Kumar Email : [email protected] 56 Eswar Kumar A. et al / IJPPDR / 3(2), 2013, 56-62. Social Stressors Examples of negative personal stressors can include: We can experience multiple stressors arising • The death of a partner from the demands of the different social roles we occupy, • Filing for divorce such as parent, spouse, caregiver, and employee. Some • Losing contact with loved ones examples of social stressors include deadlines, financial • The death of a family member problems, job interviews, presentations, disagreements, • Hospitalization (oneself or a family member) demands for your time and attention, loss of a loved one, • Injury or illness (oneself or a family member) divorce, and co-parenting. • Being abused or neglected Physiological Situations and circumstances • Separation from a spouse or committed relationship affecting our body can be experienced as Physiological partner stressors. Examples of physiological stressors include • Conflict in interpersonal relationships rapid growth of adolescence, menopause, illness, aging, • Bankruptcy/money problems giving birth, accidents, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, • Unemployment and sleep disturbances. • Sleep problems • Children‟s problems at school Thoughts • Legal problems Your brain interprets and perceives situations as • Inadequate or substandard housing stressful, difficult, painful, or pleasant. Some situations in • Excessive job demands life are stress provoking, but it is our thoughts that • Job insecurity determine whether they are a problem for us. • Conflicts with team mates and supervisors • Lack of training necessary to do a job Types of Stressors • Making presentations in front of colleagues or clients Situations that are considered stress provoking • Unproductive and time-consuming meetings are known as stressors. Stress is not always a bad thing. • Commuting and travel schedules Stress is simply the body‟s response to changes that create Examples of positive personal stressors might include: taxing demands. Many professionals suggest that there is a • Receiving a promotion at work difference between what we perceive as positive stress, • Starting a new job and distress, which refers to negative stress. In daily life, • Marriage or commitment ceremony we often use the term “stress” to describe negative • Buying a home situations. This leads many people to believe that all stress • Having a child is bad for you, which is not true [1]. • Moving • Taking or planning a vacation Positive stress has the following characteristics: • Holiday seasons • Motivates, focuses energy • Retiring • Is short-term • Taking educational classes or learning a new hobby • Is perceived as within our coping abilities • Feels exciting Stress Warning Signs and Symptoms • Improves performance Cognitive Symptoms • Memory problems In contrast, negative stress has the following • Indecisiveness characteristics: • Inability to concentrate • Causes anxiety or concern • Trouble thinking clearly • Can be short or long-term • Poor judgment • Is perceived as outside of our coping abilities • Seeing only the negative • Feels unpleasant • Anxious or racing thoughts • Decreases performance • Constant worrying • Can lead to mental and physical problems • Loss of objectivity • Fearful anticipation [2] Stress Management It is somewhat hard to categorize stressors into Physical Symptoms objective lists of those that cause positive stress and those • Headaches or backaches that cause negative stress, because different people will • Muscle tension and stiffness have different perceptions and reactions to particular • Diarrhea or constipation situations. However, by generalizing, we can compile a • Nausea, dizziness list of stressors that are typically experienced as negative • Insomnia or positive to most people, most of the time [1]. • Chest pain, rapid heartbeat 57 Eswar Kumar A. et al / IJPPDR / 3(2), 2013, 56-62. • Weight gain or loss Clinically signifcant trauma re-experiencing, • Skin breakouts (hives, eczema) situation avoidance, and increased arousal symptoms for > • Loss of sex drive 1 month after exposure [4]. • Frequent colds - Acute: Symptoms > 1 month, < 3 months Emotional Symptoms - Chronic: Symptoms ≥ 3 months • Moodiness - Delayed Onset: Onset ≥ 6 months • Agitation • Restlessness Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) • Short temper Risk Factors • Irritability, impatience Severe trauma • Inability to relax Type of trauma (interpersonal traumas such as torture, • Feeling tense and “on edge” rape or assault increase the risk of (PTSD) • Feeling overwhelmed High perceived threat to life • Sense of loneliness and isolation Age at trauma (school age youth, 40-60 years old) • Depression or general unhappiness Community (mass) trauma Other peri-traumatic factors including: history of Behavioural Symptoms peritraumatic dissociation and interpersonal trauma • Eating more or less • Sleeping too much or too little Pre-Traumatic Factors • Isolating yourself from others Ongoing life stress or demographics • Procrastination, neglecting responsibilities Lack of social support • Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Young age at time of trauma • Nervous habits (e.g., nail biting, pacing) • Teeth grinding or jaw clenching Pre-existing psychiatric disorder • Overdoing activities (e.g., exercising, shopping) Other pre-traumatic factors including: female gender, • Overreacting to unexpected problems low socioeconomic status, lower level of education, lower • Picking fights with others level of intelligence, race (African-American, American Indian, Pacific Islander), prior trauma exposure (reported Acute stress disorder (ASD) abuse in childhood, report of other previous Acute stress disorder (ASD) is an anxiety traumatization, report of other adverse childhood factors), disorder characterized by a cluster of dissociative