Modern life it seems is full of pressures, stress, and frustration. Worry seems to often be a way of life for many people. According to a recent survey by the American Psychology Association, 54 percent of Americans are concerned about the level of stress in their lives and two thirds of Americans say they are likely to seek help for stress. For many people their “golden retirement” years are not so golden as stress certainly can be a part of everyday retirement life.
You may feel physical stress as the result of too much to do, not enough of poor quality sleep, a poor diet, or the effects of illness. Just turning on the television in the morning or getting on the internet can set the stress tone for the day.
Mental stress can originate in worries about money, a loved one’s illness, retirement, or in the experience of an emotionally devastating event such as the death of a spouse, divorce or loss of a job.
How Stress Affects Your Body
When you experience stress, your pituitary gland responds by releasing a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). When the pituitary sends out this burst of ACTH it’s like an alarm system going off deep inside your brain. Even stress that is anticipated or not real can set off this same sequence of events. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night from a bad dream or nightmare where you are sweating, your heart is pounding, and you have a profound sense of dread or anxiety? Whether real or not the brain responds the same. This alarm tells your adrenal glands situated atop your kidneys to release a flood of stress hormones into your bloodstream, including cortisol and adrenaline. These stress hormones cause a whole series of physiological changes in your body, such as raising your heart rate and blood pressure, shutting down your digestive system, and altering your immune system. Once the perceived threat is gone, the levels of cortisol and adrenaline decline, and your heart rate, blood pressure and all of your other bodily functions return to normal.
If stressful situations pile up one after another, your body has not chance to recover. This long term activation of the stress-response system can disrupt almost all of your body’s processes. Some of the most common physical responses to chronic stress include:
. Digestive System. Stomach ache or diarrhea is very common when you’re stressed. This happens because stress hormones slow the release of stomach acid and the emptying of the stomach. Poor eating habits resulting in dysbiosis and leaky gut can be a major root cause of stress.
. Immune System. Chronic stress tends to dampen your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds or other infections.
. Nervous System. Stress has been linked with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and dementia.
. Cardiovascular System. Stress increases heart rate, blood pressure and increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
The key with stress is to get to the “root cause” of the stress, which may have multiple causes. A thorough history, physical, metabolic, nutritional and physiological evaluation is crucial to try to get to the root cause and then the proper treatment protocols can be implemented to correct the issues causing your stress.
Call our office at 352-801-0021 to get started on a happier less stress filled life.