How Stress Makes You Sick

When we are under stress, epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine and cortisol are released. These are our stress hormones.

When faced with imminent physical danger, these hormones allow you to fight or flee with great efficiency. These abilities were essential for survival during primitive times. The problem is that today, when faced with over 99% of stressful situations, fighting or fleeing does not eliminate the stressor.

During an Adrenal Response:

1. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, causing your heart to beat faster and ultimately raising blood pressure.

2. Cortisol can interfere with the function of the inner lining of your blood vessels, triggering plaque buildup in your arteries and increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke.

3. Your brain communicates with your gut, sending the news that you’re stressed. Your gut responds in suit, altering what it would normally be doing (digestion), so that your body can collectively work to fight off this imminent stressor.

An occasional stress response is normal and even healthy. But now, we have ongoing and constant stress. Stress from work, school, family, friends, health issues and finances, can all cause our health to be negatively impacted. It is a recipe for sickness.

What Happens When You’re Chronically Stressed?

In this video, Emory University professor of medicine Sharon Bergquist shows what happens in your body when you’re under chronic stress.

Excess stress hormones are released far too often. Stress clearly affects your whole body. According to neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky in the documentary “Stress: Portrait of a Killer,” the following are the most common health conditions that are caused by or worsened by stress:

1. Cardiovascular disease
2. Anxiety
3. Frequent colds
4. Memory loss
5. Hypertension
6. Sexual dysfunction
7. Insomnia and fatigue
8. Appetite changes
9. Depression
10. Infertility and irregular cycles
11. Trouble concentrating
12. Digestive problems

The key is not to allow stress to consume you.

Some Tips To Deal With Stress:

1. Hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst is always a good idea.

2. If you are in a stressful situation, formulate a game plan with action steps and a timeline to get out of that situation.

3. Talk about it to a friend, family member or to a professional.

4. Exercise more

5. Try to think positively

6. Meditation and/or prayer can also be very valuable to reduce stress.

7. To reduce stress, decisions should be carefully evaluated as far as their pros and the cons. Remember that decisions are made with the left side of the brain that provides intellectual input, the right side of our brain that provides our emotional input and out gut feelings that provides intuition, instinct and other intangibles. When you have evaluated a situation and can’t quite come to a decision, In my opinion, just go with your gut!

Read More