Stress

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       Stress causes      Stress related illnesses      Symptoms

Mechanism     Types of stress     Sequence of stress

Management     Specific herbs      Specific supplements

Stress & It's Causes

In recent times, the word stress has been added to the vocabulary of modern medicine. Medicine has defined the cause of stress diseases in the following manner. "Stress diseases are caused when the combat mechanism of the body goes into action under some shock, the thyroid demanding a purposeless increase in metabolic output, the pituitary sending ACTH flooding to the adrenal glands modifying blood pressure, blood sugar increasing and exhaustion following, often with a dangerous lowering of the body's normal resistance to infection" (quoted from the practitioner). Ours is a world of explosive change, a breeding ground for uncertainty, insecurity and tremendous stress. Stress is a psychological and physical response to the demands of daily life that exceed a person's ability to cope successfully. With the advancement of technology, we have given ourselves a modern condition called stress. Stress unfortunately is an unavoidable part of modern life. Some common day-to-day factors that may cause stress include: problems at work, marital problems, overwork, lack of sleep, illnesses, financial problems and believe it or not to a lesser degree, traffic.

Stress related illnesses

Stress creates an excellent breeding ground for illnesses to develop, it can place your physical and psychological well-being in jeopardy if not attended to. Researchers estimate that stress contributes to as many as 50 to 70 percent of all major illnesses including cardiovascular illnesses, high blood pressure, cancer, endocrine and metabolic related diseases, skin disorders, infections and others.

Symptoms Of Stress (consult your physician first before self diagnosing)

When one is under a lot of stress, it will carry with it a whole host of signs such as: fatigue, headaches, irritability, loss of appetite, forgetfulness, confusion, low self-esteem, aloofness, nervous twitches, lowered sex drive, intestinal disorders and high blood pressure. Almost 70-80% of all visits to the doctor are stress related or caused by stress. 

Mechanism Of Stress

In the face of perceived problems we are always under stress, at that time we undergo physiological changes where hormone and adrenalin levels increase and our body reacts to fight or flight response. The dumping of hormones by the adrenal glands causes acidosis in the body. That in turn will trigger a whole cascade of health affecting problems. If left unchecked, it may cause physical or mental malfunctions. So, the increased production of adrenal hormones may be one of the factors responsible for most of the symptoms associated with stress. Stress can create vulnerability in the body's immune system prompting other disorder inducing factors to run riot. Long-term stress can throw your body's functions out of sync.

Types Of Stress

Sequence of stress

The stress response is actually a part of a larger response known as the general

adaptation syndrome. It is divided into three phases:

1) alarm 2) resistance 3) exhaustion.

The alarm reaction

Is referred to as the fight or flight response. It causes the adrenals to secrete adrenalin and other stress related hormones like cortisol. It is usually a short-lived phase.

The resistance phase

Is influenced by cortisol and other corticosteroids secreted by the adrenal cortex. It provides the necessary energy to deal with stress. Continued stress or prolongation of the resistance phase may increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and cancer. If continued it may lead to the exhaustion phase.

The exhaustion phase

This phase may manifest as a total collapse of body function or collapse of specific organs. Two of the major causes of exhaustion may be 1) potassium loss 2) reduction in the amount of the adrenal hormone cortisone. With prolonged stress, the body may become deficient in many useful nutrients and is unable to replace them to par level. Long-term stress is dangerous and may lead to more serious medical problems.

Management techniques to de-stress

The first step towards tackling stress is to accept that it exists as a result of our lifestyle or attitudes. According to Dr.Hans Selye a Canadian Physiologist and a pioneer in stress research, "stress in itself should not be viewed as a negative phenomenon. Stress doesn't have to be so stressful once we learn to react in more positive ways to handle the stressful situation we see ourselves as up against". There is no escape from stress however there are mechanisms to combat it.

1) Identify the stressors to be tackled.

2) Identify negative coping pattern and replace it with positive coping pattern EX: you're stuck in traffic, well, instead of stressing try to use that time positively by using it as reflection or thinking time, could be anything from making a list of things to do the next day or reflection on an issue that you haven't had time to think about because you've been too busy. To reduce the negative impact of stress, do accept the fact that bad stress is inevitable and try coping positively by learning to relax and by being optimistic. Studies show that individuals that have learned to relax, are optimistic and who laugh a little tend to live longer and healthier lives. Adapting flexibility in the face of challenges will reduce stress.

Adopt a good lifestyle

Try to be positive. Refrain from unnecessary anger and anxiety Ex: getting red in the face because the checkout line at the supermarket is too long(unnecessary anger leads to anxiety and stress), traffic light taking too long to turn green(unnecessary
anger leads to anxiety and stress). Learning to calm the mind and body is extremely
important in relieving stress. Learn to let go and try to cultivate a sense
of humor if you don't have one. Type A personalities(hyperactive and always stressed) or controlling personalities suffer from more stress that any other group. Look at your lifestyle to determine if it's a cause for your stress.

It is rightly said "a merry heart doeth good, like medicine, but a broken spirit (due to overstress) drieth the bones".

It is also very important to have a cheerful attitude in life if you want to keep stress at bay. When you're stressed out listen to your favorite melody, music does wonders, it will soothe and relax your tense, stressful nerves and muscles. Stress releasing techniques like meditation, relaxation, yoga and aromatherapy also may help. Shrugging exercises will relax the tensed neck and shoulder muscles. Example - breathe deeply as you do this exercise. Raise your shoulders as close as possible to your ears than push them back and down in a counter-clockwise motion repeat this five to six times and you should feel much better.

Yoga is another technique of de-stressing. Yoga is inspired by the natural habits of certain animals like cats, the relaxation habits of which have been observed closely. One posture of yoga that briefly deserves attention for this topic is "savasana" or corpse pose ie: a posture of complete repose, complete relaxation. The effect of this posture is immediate, Lie down on your back, in a quiet place. Place the arms 8 inches away from the body, palms upturned. Keep heels 3 feet apart. Keep your eyes closed and breathe slowly and deeply, feel a sense of calm relaxation come over your whole body, concentrate on loosening all tension. You should feel relaxed after this.

Another technique to release stress is called "Pranayama" or breathing exercise. One purpose of this exercise is to get rid of the stress hormones in the blood thereby decreasing stress. 20 minutes of diaphragmatic deep breathing will get rid of stress. Other techniques and products that also reduce stress include:

1) Color therapy

2) Massage

4) Reflexology

5) Homeopathy

6) Herbs - Valerian  

7) Supplements - such as 5-HTP, SAMe, DHEA, Melatonin and Vitamin B Complex. 

De-stress yourself now before further problems like anxiety and depression develop which may be more difficult to deal with. 

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