What is Stress and What Do You Do About it (Part Three)?

How the body reacts to relieve stress is described by Dr Hans Selye in terms of General Adaptation Syndrome. Selye divides the stress response into three phases: Alarm Response, Adaptation and Fatigue. Alarm Response is a flight response or movement that prepares the body for immediate action. If the source of pressure continues, the body is prepared for long-term protection through hormone secretion that increases blood sugar levels to maintain energy and increase blood pressure. This phase of adaptation, due to exposure to prolonged periods of stress, is normal and not necessarily dangerous but without periods of rest and rest to compensate for stress responses, patients become exposed to fatigue, lack of concentration, irritation and fatigue in an effort to maintain slides excitement becomes a negative pressure. Under stress, chronic, patients enter phase Exhaustion: mental, physical and emotional sources suffer greatly and experience 'adrenal fatigue', where blood sugar levels decrease as adrenals become depleted, leading to decreased stress tolerance, mental and physical progressive fatigue, pain and collapse.

Exposure to excessive stress results in hormonal imbalance, which can produce a variety of symptoms: -

Physical symptoms - changes in sleep patterns, unexpected heartbeats, fatigue, palpitations, changes in digestion, shortness of breath, loss of sex, headaches, infections, stomach aches, hand and foot pain, pain and pain in different parts of the body, sweating and trembling.

Mental symptoms - lack of concentration, panic attacks, memory loss, difficulty in decision making, confusion and confusion.

Emotional symptoms - deterioration of hygiene and self-esteem, depression, impatience and irritability, in accordance with anger and loneliness.

Symptoms of behavior - changes in appetite, eating disorders, increased intake of alcohol and other drugs, nail biting, fidgeting, anxiety, hypochondria and increased smoking.

The term 'cardiovascular' refers to the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease is probably the most serious health problem that can be associated with stress - it is the most common cause of death in the UK and the US. The main causes of heart disease include smoking and a high fat diet but stress is a major contributing factor.

Adrenal hormones act to increase blood pressure; Temporary increases in blood pressure pose no threat to health but frequent or chronic blood pressure conditions can have serious effects on long-term health. High blood pressure is associated with the development of arteriosclerosis or hardening of the artery. Arteriosclerosis is a result of the development of blood plaque in the artery, which progressively narrows the passage through the bloodstream. Eventually the artery can be blocked, causing angina, stroke and heart failure.

The immune system protects the body against infection and protects against viruses, harmful bacteria and cancer. Excessive stress can damage the immune system by affecting the thyroid gland, which produces white blood cells to control immunity and also produce a variety of immune-related hormones. Stress reactions move the body to the major parts of the body that need to deal with stress, especially the brain, heart and muscles. The immune system and other systems are stripped of its source. The thyroid gland may shrink because of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands. This will also reduce the work done by white blood cells, which will cause damage to the body's ability to fight infection. As a result, high pressure can result in reduced resistance to common infections, such as colds, flu and herpes. Because some types of white blood cells produced by thymus are active in preventing the growth of cancer cells in the body, any damage to thymus can cause the body's ability to withstand cancer.

Asthma is a respiratory disorder characterized by temporary narrowing of the bronchus, the airways that branch from the trachea to the lungs. The attacks are usually caused by allergic reactions to antigens, such as grass and pollen, mold spores, fungi and certain foods but may also be caused by chemicals in the atmosphere or by respiratory tract infections. The susceptibility to asthma attacks is based on hyperactivity in the bronchial muscles, which restricts exposure to one or both of these agents. Chronic stress reduces the efficiency of the adrenal glands, reduces the production of anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen adrenal hormones, which may make asthma attacks more likely.

Diabetes is caused by the body's inability to properly metabolize sugar, which leads to excessive blood sugar levels. Sugar metabolism is responsible for the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. Most diabetics can produce insulin but various factors limit the effectiveness of hormones, known as 'insulin sensitivity'.

Release of adrenal hormones under stress can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels. Adrenaline causes sugar in the liver to enter the bloodstream and cortisol acts to reduce glucose metabolism by cells. Give lots of cortisol to reduce insulin sensitivity. High blood sugar levels are not harmful in healthy individuals but chronic stress, combined with other factors such as obesity, works to increase the risk of diabetes.

Ulcers are often associated with stress, although no conclusive links have been shown. The stomach is usually covered with a mucus layer to protect it from the digestive acids and enzymes used in digestion. Over time, chronic stress can stimulate excessive production of gastric juice, which damages the mucous membranes and acts on the walls of the digestive tract, causing ulceration. Ulceration usually occurs orally in a round or oval wound; Erosions are usually shallow but can penetrate the entire wall, leading to bleeding and the possibility of death.

Many problems with the digestive tract, such as constipation, diarrhea and pressure bowel syndrome are associated with stress. The brain sends a message to the nerves in the digestive tract in the form of hormones. These messages will tell the intestinal muscles to develop or contract. Hormone imbalance can cause changes in bowel function, such as cramps, constipation and diarrhea. Chronic stress tends to shut down the digestive system altogether, worsening bowel problems.

Stress increases the level of toxicity in the body and contributes to hormone imbalance, both of which have an effect on the skin. The effects of stress on the skin include: - acne, spots, skin diseases, eczema, pale and excessive psoriasis.

Headaches are one of the most common diseases and are not caused by illness but by fatigue, emotional disturbance or allergies. Instantaneous pain is caused by insufficient anxiety, anxiety, hard work or ventilation. The most common type, chronic stress headache, is often caused by depression. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain, such as the lining of the spinal cord (skull). Nervous stimulation of the skull, upper neck and lining of the brain membrane can cause headaches. This stimulation can be caused by inflammation, by melting of the blood vessels or by muscle spasms in the neck and head. Headaches caused by muscle spasms are classified as tension headaches: caused by bleeding of blood vessels called vascular headaches.

Migraine is the leading cause of vascular headache. Many things seem to trigger migraine attacks, including stress, fatigue, medications and foods containing substances that affect the blood vessels. Chronic headaches may be symptoms of physical depression or severe emotional problems.

Stress has a detrimental effect on the nerves in general and certain pramenis symptoms may be exacerbated by stress. Many PMS patients have abnormal levels of the adrenal hormone aldosterone, which may contribute to some of the problems of fluid retention and weight gain, breast tenderness and bloated stomach. Further release of stress-induced aldosterone exacerbates this problem.

Chronic stress can lead to severe depression due to its weakening psychological effects. Physiological changes caused by stress can also contribute to depression. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are not just adrenal hormones but also chemical messengers in the brain. Noradrenaline deficiency has been linked to depression in certain individuals and adrenal fatigue through chronic long-term stress may be a contributing factor in depression.

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