'Don't let it kill you'

Listen to your heart, especially if you are stuck in traffic, as some people are three times more likely to suffer a cardiac arrest.

This is according to research done by the Institute of Epidemiology in Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, the Research Centre for Environmental Health in Munich, Germany.

Air pollution from car fumes and high levels of stress are the two factors that could lead to a heart attack. These findings were presented at the American Heart Association's 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention earlier this year.

When you place it in context with the information that one in seven adults have sought medical treatment for stress according to the British Association of Anger Management, it is worrying.

Medical studies presented to the American Heart Association showed mental stress causes immediate blood pressure elevation, and sometimes, raises blood pressure as much as 20 points, according to 5minutestressrelief.net.

High blood pressure is one of several 'risk factors' that can increase your chances of developing heart disease, a stroke, and other serious conditions. As a rule, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk.

It does not mean that everyone who does the two-hour daily commute from Sharjah to Dubai might succumb to a heart attack. However, the most dangerous aspect is the stealthy manner in which stress takes a toll.

Even though dangerous increases in blood pressure cause three to six times increased risk of heart attacks, most individuals have no feeling, or awareness that this is occurring in their bodies.

Dr C. V. Manohar, a Stress and Yoga Therapist working at the Al Musallah Medical Centre in Dubai, said: "Traffic is a trigger and could increase stress, which is one of the major reasons why people have a heart attack. Often, we may find people who are perfectly healthy and normal in terms of their blood sugar levels and cholesterol count and may still have a heart attack."

Manohar added that most people do not identify stress as a cause for concern.

He said: "When we get stressed, our body creates stress hormones, which send signals to our brain that something is not right. This in turn causes the body to get stressed. It's a vicious cycle. One must learn to deal with stress."

In some cases it manifests as road rage. International statistics show that more than 1,000 people in the US die a year in road rage incidents.

American academic, James Strickland, found that if provoked, motorists would respond by 40 per cent driving more aggressively.

So, what is the answer that would help wipe out this waste of health and emotions, and eventually money for medical treatment?

It requires a change of thought and perception. Dr Melanie Schlatter, a health psychologist at the Well Woman Clinic in Dubai said it's very important to be aware of triggers. She said: "Traffic is unavoidable. One needs to just change the way people look at stress-related issues. Combating traffic related stress depends on how long the journey would be, who the person is, how they react to situations and the manner in which they cope with triggers."

So, plan your journey, listen to soothing music, talk to your boss, find a new work shift slot, carpool with a friend and do some breathing exercises to calm your mind.

Tips to cope

- Don't honk unecessarily.

- Be patient, everybody wants to get out.

- Breathe easy.

- Keep the number of your doctor ready.

- Plan your journey.

- Don't cut queues.

- Maintain lane discipline.

- Always carry water.

- Have a handsfree set and dictaphone to catch up on work.

- Count slowly to 20 every time somebody irritates you on the road.