MANILA — The mother who cannot remember where she put her keys. The young office worker spotting grey strands in the mirror. Across Asia, these moments hit hard.
They feel like warnings. But neurologists say the body can send false alarms.
Chronic stress is the real culprit, not necessarily early ageing. Dr Neha Pandita, Senior Consultant Neurologist and Unit Head at Fortis Hospital in Noida, told HT Lifestyle that genetics, nutrition, sleep, lifestyle habits, and underlying medical conditions all matter. Stress is one piece, but not the whole story.
That distinction matters in this region. Long working hours and family pressures are the norm here, not the exception.
The daily grind — juggling work, caregiving, financial strain — may be taking a toll in ways people do not always see. Stress triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. Hormones flood the system to handle immediate threats.
That is fine for a short burst. But chronic stress means prolonged exposure. Sleep suffers.
Inflammation rises. Metabolism shifts.
Brain function declines. The brain is especially vulnerable. Dr Pandita explained that stress levels can affect the hippocampus, the region central to learning and memory.
The result? Trouble concentrating.
A fog that creeps in and stays. This is not about panic. It is about understanding what is actually happening.
A 30-year-old struggling to remember names may not be ageing faster. They may simply be running on empty, stretched thin by demands that never let up. Grey hair in your twenties can feel like a betrayal.
Poor memory in your thirties can spark real fear. But the body’s signals are not always what they seem.
Stress mimics the signs of ageing without actually accelerating the clock. For families across the region, this knowledge is practical. It shifts the question from “am I ageing too fast?” to “what is my stress load doing to me right now?” The answer matters for daily life.
Sleep habits. Nutrition.
The small choices that accumulate. Dr Pandita noted that chronic stress can impact several biological processes related to how the body and brain age. That is a warning, but also a clue.
Stress is modifiable. Genetics is not. The takeaway is straightforward.
Those grey hairs and memory lapses are worth paying attention to. But they do not have to mean the body is falling apart.
They might just mean the pressure needs to ease. The grind needs a break. The system needs a reset.
That is a different story than the one people usually tell themselves. And it is one that offers a path forward, not just a reason to worry.
