The Boston Marathon Bombings rank among the most tragic events in America for this century. Certainly the impact on our citizens is immense and it is not unreasonable to expect that people throughout the western world would experience some form of physical or mental distress. In fact health officials are making every effort to ensure that people can recover from this catastrophe and return to some sense of normalcy in the shortest possible time. Doctors are especially concerned that like the physical trauma, a huge number people who witnessed this unthinkable carnage in the streets of Boston may indeed suffer various forms of mental trauma such post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Efforts are therefore under way to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to adequately deal with persons who present with such conditions. People who were on the scene and assisted with caring for the wounded and who witnessed the mutilations, amputations and mangled body parts first-hand are especially susceptible to experiencing PTSD. Because there is no clear cut prediction as to when mental health issues like PTSD will appear, practitioners must take every precaution to ensure that appropriate therapies are in place to manage any latent onset of mental health conditions.

Aside from issues like PTSD we know that the bombings have left the city in a state of flux. People throughout Boston and indeed the country are paranoid and are looking for ways to bring back those feelings of safety and security. As was previously stated, the bombings have taken a severe toll on their mental health and have totally diminished that sense of security and comfort they enjoyed up to that point.

One of the corollaries of anxiety and instability is stress and of course we know that if we wish to enjoy good health stress is a no-no. Continued elevated stress leads to a number of health problems particularly those involving the circulatory system. Many studies have shown that people who live stressful lives are more likely to develop coronary heart disease and other related health issues. With this being the case, it is not unreasonable to expect that one of the effects of the Boston bombings may be increased incidences of health problems like hypertension. Concerted effort must therefore be made to keep the population calm and relaxed.

In this regard, it is reassuring to see that the FBI and other law enforcement personnel are making every effort to allay the fears of the public while at the same time intensifying their efforts to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice. In fact, I have just learnt that one of the “devils” has been captured or killed. Congratulations to everyone involved. We do not usually link law enforcement to health matters, but I believe that in this case, in addition to efficiently executing their primary duties, their effort in making us feel safe again is a significant health achievement. Stress is an anathema, it wreaks havoc on the body systems and therefore efforts must be made to keep stress under control at all times. While we cannot control external events like the Boston Marathon Bombing, including stress busting exercises in our daily routine can work wonders in terms of stress reduction and the prevention of health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.