The Ravages of Stress

CEBU, Philippines — Life is replete with stressful events. Failing grades at school. Death of a loved one. Separation from a spouse. Loss of a job.  The experience of any of these conditions can wear out the body.

It doesn’t have to take a major stressful event for the body to be affected, health experts say. Even the day-to-day situations like being stuck in traffic, panicking over an office or school deadline, engaging in a heated argument with a salesclerk etc. can cause the body to be in an anxious state. Without proper, regular stress relief the tension accumulates and builds up… until it gets bad enough to wreak havoc in the body and mind.

Studies have established that stressful experiences have an impact on brain function, which could then lead to dementia in the longer term. Experts admit, though, that there could be many different factors at play.

The theory is that stress increases inflammation, which could increase the chances of developing dementia – and this is currently being tested by researchers. So far, a study in the U.S. has found that certain ethnic groups (African Americans, in particular) were more at risk of stress in life than other ethnic groups. This is because the ‘risk group’ scored poorer results in the memory tests than other groups.

The website www.healthline.com explains that in a stressful situation “the hypothalamus, a tiny control tower in your brain, decides to send out the order: Send in the stress hormones! These stress hormones are the same ones that trigger your body’s fight-or-flight response. Your heart races, your breath quickens, and your muscles get ready for action. This response is designed to protect your body in an emergency by preparing you to react quickly. But when the stress response keeps firing, day after day, it could put your health at serious risk.”

In reaction to an emergency situation, the hypothalamus in the brain tells the adrenal glands to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rev up heartbeat and send blood rushing to the areas that need it most, such as the muscles, heart, and other important organs. When the perceived emergency is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal.

Everyone experiences stress from time to time. In fact, stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life situations. Short-term stress can even be beneficial. A person delivering an important performance or participating in a competition will do better to have a certain level of stress in order to keep him “on his toes.”

A certain level of stress is also helpful in potentially dangerous situations. It prompts the body to release hormones that increase heart and breathing rates and getting the muscles ready to respond. But prolonged or chronic stress can take its toll on one’s health.

Chronic stress can cause a variety of symptoms and affect one’s overall wellbeing. The symptoms include: irritability, anxiety, depression, headaches, and insomnia. Chronic stress is also a factor in such behaviors as overeating or not eating enough, alcohol or drug abuse, and social withdrawal.

Stress hormones affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, too. During the fight-or- flight response, breathing is faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to the body. For people who have a breathing problem like asthma or emphysema, stress can make it even harder to breathe.

Under stress, the heart pumps faster. Stress hormones cause the blood vessels to constrict and divert more oxygen to the muscles for more strength to take action. This also causes blood pressure to rise.

Frequent or chronic stress makes the heart work too hard for too long. When the blood pressure rises, so do the risks for having a stroke or heart attack.

The digestive system is also upset under stress. The liver produces extra blood sugar (glucose) in order to give the body a boost of energy. Under chronic stress, the body may not be able to keep up with the extra glucose surge and, thus, increasing risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Stress can affect, too, the way food moves through the body, leading to diarrhea or constipation. That’s why it’s common to see a stressed person experiencing nausea, vomiting, or a stomachache. While stress doesn’t cause ulcers (a bacterium called H. pylori often does), it can increase the risk for an ulcer and cause existing ulcers to act up.

It’s horrible how stress – chronic stress – can ravage the body. And it can do the same thing to the mind. It is important, therefore, to pay particular attention stressful situations and to try to manage one’s reaction to those.