Coping with 'false alarms'

Last month I was diagnosed as COVID positive. I was asymptomatic meaning I had no fever, no fatigue, but just loss of smell. The doctor told me to monitor my heart rate, oxygen saturation levels and temperature regularly. Ever since that, I find myself constantly checking my heart rate and blood pressure, fussing over the oxygen levels if they vary by even one notch. I ended up buying 5 machines in the house to cross-check. I am COVID negative now and overall feeling fine, except I cannot overcome this thought of constantly checking my heart rate and oxygen levels. I am checking nearly 10-15 times a day and each time cross-checking. Everyone is getting impatient with me. I feel like I am losing control. Please tell me what is the ideal heart rate and blood pressure for a young healthy 30-year-old like me? Does this happen to everyone?

We tend to ignore our health until it becomes our biggest concern and then we can't stop obsessing over it. This good old anxiety has been a friend to many, and you aren't alone. Health-related anxiety following a recent illness is actually an extremely common phenomenon. In fact, this thing you are facing has a name. It is called "Illness anxiety disorder" or popularly "Hypochondriasis", where one constantly worries about certain physical parameters – in your case your heart rate, your blood pressure etc or a disease. Despite being comforted by loved ones or even medical professionals and devices you find yourself unconvinced.

The fixation on the "Ideal" of ideal heart rate, pulse etc is the basis of this anxiety and hence I am refraining from giving you numbers. These numbers depend on a whole variety of things like age, height, sex, physiological state, mental state and more. Even machines are notorious for giving us different readings and this error is bound to make individuals over-investigate.

Wellness tip: The solution you should be looking for doesn't lie in numbers, machines or even laboratory reports. This behaviour is a neurochemical response to your "worry state". Start by accepting that you are well but your anxiety is making you magnify the issues at hand. Next take charge of your body and mind by being kind to it, paying attention to it through activities that make you relax and also engage in some physical exercise. Meditation would be a great way to calm the mind, the nerves and even the heart rate.

If things get worse then speak your "mind" out to your friendly mental health professional or family physician.

Suggested read: Overcoming Health Anxiety: Letting Go of Your Fear of Illness by Katharine Owens and Martin M Anton.

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