How Stress Affects Your Health
by David Yarian, Ph.D.
Our bodies are wonderfully designed to rise to daunting challenges - escaping from dangerous situations by fleeing or fighting an enemy; performing feats of strength that seem impossible such as carying an injured person from a burning building; having all senses on red alert when peak performance is required, such as in an athletic competition or dealing with complex, high-stakes situations.
The body, however, is not particularly good at distinguishing
between true, life-threatening emergencies and the anxieties,
worries, stresses and challenges of modern life. Whether the
emergency is real or perceived, the body responds as if it were a
life or death situation.
In working with persons suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder, I have frequently seen how even the memory of a very
stressful event can trigger powerful physiological responses:
sweating, trembling, increased heart rate and blood pressure,
faster breathing, tingling, feelings of panic, heightened sensory
awareness, and more. Clients have reported digestive and bowel
disruption, feeling chilled, and sleep disruption.
Since World War I, scientists have studied in detail the
responses the body makes to a perceived threat. This bodily
response system is called the stress response, and it was first
studied in soldiers responding to combat situations. Soon
researchers such as Hans Selye came to see that the stress
response may be generated in the body whether the threat is
physical or psychological.
Medical researchers have traced the stress response as it
cascades throughout the body, affecting every system of the body.
When the brain perceives threat or danger, the hypothalamus sends
a signal to the pituitary gland, which releases
adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) which in turn signals the
adrenal glands to spill cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline
into the bloodstream. These are the so-called stress hormones,
which have a powerful impact on the body, mobilizing it for fight
or flight.
The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report on Stress
Control summarizes what happens next:
Your breath quickens as your body takes in extra oxygen.
Energy-boosting glucose and fats are released from
storage sites into your bloodstream. Sharpened senses,
such as sight and hearing, make you more alert.
Your heart beats faster - up to five times as quickly as
normal - and your blood pressure rises. Certain blood
vessels constrict, which helps direct blood flow to your
muscles and brain and away from your skin and other
organs.
Blood cells called platelets become stickier so clots can
form more easily to keep you from bleeding to death from
potential injuries. Immune system activity picks up.
Your muscles - even tiny, hair-raising muscles beneath
your skin - tighten, preparing you to spring into action.
Body systems not needed for the immediate emergency are
suppressed. The stomach and intestines cease operations.
Sexual arousal is quashed. Repair and growth of body
tissues and bones halt. |
All of this is exactly we need -- to hunt a mastodon or saber-
toothed tiger, to fight an enemy, or to flee for our lives from a
real and immediate danger.
In the early 70's I was threatened at midnight by a mugger with a
knife in the East Village of New York City. I ran from him, many
blocks to a subway station where there were lights and people. I
ran faster than I knew was possible, thanks to the stress
response which mobilized my body for flight.
Problems arise in modern life, however, where these physiological
responses may be triggered fifty or more times a day in reaction
to anxiety or stress-inducing situations, such as an exam or a
fender-bender or an interaction with a difficult person. Normal
life events, both positive and negative, may also induce a
chronic stress response, lasting long after the stressful event
has passed.
How the physiological changes triggered by chronic
activation of the stress response can compromise health.
The long-term activation of the stress response system can
disrupt almost all your body’s processes, according to the Mayo
Clinic Health Information (September 17, 2004). This can
increase your risk of obesity, insomnia, digestive complaints,
heart disease and depression.
These health risks may occur through the direct effects of
chronic stress, such as by suppression of the immune system or by
chronic constriction of major blood vessels. Risks to health may
also occur through indirect effects of stress, as persons attempt
to respond to chronic stress levels in less-than-healthy ways,
such as by overeating, smoking, drinking too much, not
exercising, or engaging in other risky behaviors.
The Mayo Clinic points out how various bodily systems may be
affected through chronic activation of the stress response:
Digestive System
Stress hormones slow the release of stomach acid and the
emptying of the stomach. The contents of the colon are
more quickly passed. Continuously high levels of
cortisol can increase appetite and cause weight gain. |
Immune System
Chronic stress tends to dampen your immune system, making
you more susceptible to colds and other infections.
Continuously elevated cortisol levels switch off the
immune and inflammatory responses that are the body’s
responses to infections. In some cases stress can make
your immune system overactive, resulting in an increased
risk of autoimmune diseases. |
Nervous System
If your fight or flight response never shuts off, stress
hormones produce persistent feelings of anxiety,
helplessness and impending doom. Over-sensitivity to
stress has been linked with severe depression, sleep
disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite. |
Cardiovascular System
High levels of cortisol can raise your heart rate and
increase your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
These are risk factors for both heart attacks and
strokes. |
Other Systems
Stress worsens many skin conditions - such as psoriasis,
eczema, hives and acne - and can be a trigger for asthma
attacks. |
The chronic activation of the body’s stress-response system thus
creates many health vulnerabilities. An important aspect of good
health is learning how to deal with life stresses in constructive
ways. This includes developing skills to turn the body’s stress-
response system off when it is not needed, so that all bodily
systems may rest and recover from the powerful effects of the
stress hormones.
More relevant resources are listed in The Guide to Self-Help Books. Useful sections of the Guide include Health and Wellness, Meditation, and Stress Management and Relaxation.
(c) 2005 Permission is granted to reprint this article, "Breathe with Mindfulness Today!" in print or on your website as long as the paragraph below is included:
David Yarian, Ph.D. (http://www.DavidYarian.com) is the creator of The Guide to Self-Help Books, http://www.Books4SelfHelp.com, and co-author of Self-Help Central, an ezine to help you build a better life with self-help resources. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist in private practice in Nashville, TN.
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