Get Well Soon: Close, direct link between stress and appetite

Chennai

My father has been having boils that resemble pimples for over a year now. They leave behind small holes on the face.  He has been undergoing treatment for it, but there has been no effect. Kindly advise. — Divya, Chennai

Pimples appear due to various hormonal changes in a woman due to PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome). Men too can develop pimples in their late 20s, and these pimples can cause small holes on the face. You haven’t mentioned your father’s age, but it is quite unlikely for a middle-aged man  to develop it. The pimple like boils might be triggered by some other medication that he is on. Your doctor would have been able to find the link. - Dr Subhashini Mohan, Dermatologist

I have been experiencing loss of appetite for a few weeks now. I have been taking a lot of stress at work, but I have been getting adequate sleep. Is there a link between appetite and stress? — Vijay, Virugambakkam

Yes, definitely. There is a close and direct link between stress and appetite. When a person is stressed or anxious, gastric acids are released and if the person is already suffering from gastric trouble, the increased stress can make the condition more severe.

While for some, anxiety can make them eat more, for others it could diminish their appetite. For example,  when some people are stressed about exams or any upcoming events, they end up eating more. Some, when extremely upset or stressed can go on for many days without having an appetite. Stress also has an indirect effect on the satiety centre of the brain that actually instructs you about food intake. - Dr R Sundararaman, Head of Department, Internal Medicine, SIMS Hospital