Definition
Definition
Stendhal syndrome is a psychosomatic disorder (psychological disorder that affects the body) that is part of the traveler's syndromes. It is characterized by an overload of emotions in travelers admiring a work of art.
It is characterized by:
- A delirium.
- Vomitings.
- Insomnia.
- Anxiety.
History
Stendhal syndrome is named after the writer Stendhal who, during a trip to Florence, described the emotions he felt at the Fine Arts. Geophilla Magherini, psychiatrist in Florence, told the following story: following a trip to Italy, Stendhal, while visiting a church in Florence, felt unwell and had to sit down to regain his strength.
Symptoms
Pathophysiology
Stendhal syndrome is a disorder that causes:
- A tachycardia (increased heart rate).
- dizziness.
- Sometimes hallucinations.
It seems that Stendhal syndrome is not only psychological in nature, but actually linked to fatigue inherent in the visits that tourists make in the heat for example. For the researchers, other changes such as a change in diet, the consumption of wine, the need to make constant efforts (visiting museums while turning the head without sitting down) could aggravate the symptoms felt by some tourists.
Parisian hospitals near Notre-Dame, and Italian hospitals in Florence, regularly receive people suffering from Stendhal syndrome.
Evolution
Evolution
The evolution of Stendhal syndrome is good. It is necessary to advise susceptible individuals to take repos and possibly stop their journey.