STRESS AND YOUR HEALTH

I am not a medical doctor, but even without that credential, I am happy to pass along information that you could easily look up for yourselves. My goal is to save you time and trouble in getting informed about stress and health.

Our bodies contain many kinds of tissues and chemicals, and our bodies perform very complicated functions. Above all, we are designed to survive. One very important survival method is that the physical body develops ways of dealing with harmful substances, like antigens.

An antigen is a toxin or other foreign substance that brings forth an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies. When we’re stressed, the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced. That is why we are more susceptible to infections when we are stressed.

The health impacts of stress are almost too numerous to mention in a short article. Here are just a few:

Stress responses reduce digestive activity. Some of you have already found this out, if you happened to have an argument over dinner or at Thanksgiving and end up feeling sick afterwards. Stressful feelings before, during or after you’ve eaten can lead to more serious outcomes. The hormone adrenaline, released during stress responses, like when you’re arguing – can lead to the development of stomach ulcers.

Stress increases heart rate and puts pressure on the circulatory system.

Stress produces an increase in blood cholesterol levels, and can lead to clogging of the arteries.

This is just a few of many destructive effects of poorly managed stress. Add to these facts, the hard reality that many people adopt unhealthy ways of coping with stress – drugs and alcohol being most obvious – and you have a clear picture of what stress, managed badly, can do to your health.

You may not know it, but you have more power and ability to manage stress than you believe you do. All you have to do is to reach out and grab it, and I will be glad to show you just how to do that. If you’re stressed and not getting relief – and you don’t want to depend on medication alone (or at all), I urge you to call me for a free consultation. The number is 219-309-3928. I’m available.