The Deadly Effects of Stress on Our Bodies Erik Halvorsen
Introduction As we enter the New Year, health, wellness, and resolutions to eat better and get more exercise are priorities for most of us who have not yet made them permanent fixtures in our way of life. Whether you launch into 2020 with a keto or Mediterranean diet and/or join Orangetheory, Equinox or that cult (I mean gym) CrossFit—or just subscribe to the burn more calories than you take in tried and true method—we all start off with the best of intentions.
In the last couple of years, the newest health threat has been sitting too much—in our offices and homes—and we have seen the emergence of stand-up desks and “how many steps have you taken today” has become a normal part of everyday conversation. But maybe the most wellaccepted cause and least understood “silent killer” that we collectively do a terrible job of managing is stress.
Homeostasis The human body functions best when it is in a state of homeostasis—in a condition of balance, harmony, and stability. Our bodies have evolved to have a number of compensatory mechanisms to maintain a balance for pH, O2/CO2, electrolytes, glucose/insulin, immune response activation/de-activation, hormone levels, and many other physiological systems.
Off-Balance When the homeostatic state for these physiological balances is thrown off due to genetic or environmental changes over time, they may eventually experience a number of problems in their mental and physical functions. This may result in a variety of symptoms from headaches, nausea, and exhaustion to more pronounced situations, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, and cancer.
The Medical Community The medical community continues to elucidate the cause and effect relationship between bacteria, viruses, toxins and our genetics and how those lead to illness. Researchers and companies continue to develop new and better drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and even gene therapy and geneediting technology to “fix us� when we get sick.
The Mind & Body But what about our “mind-body” connection? And no, that is not just a term used by alternative medicine charlatans. The connections between our physical and mental well being are well established if still poorly understood mechanistically. Psychosomatic Disorders are a set of physical diseases that are either caused or made worse by mental factors such as anxiety or stress. According to the Cleveland Clinic, depression can be caused by chronic illness and further exacerbate the illness thereby “causing a vicious cycle to develop.”
Rates for Depression The rates for depression that occurs with other medical illnesses is quite high (national average for depression without co-morbidities is ~7-10%): Heart attack: 40%-65% Coronary artery disease (without heart attack): 18%-20% Parkinson’s disease: 40% Multiple sclerosis: 40% Stroke: 10% to 27% Cancer: 25% Diabetes: 25%
A Constant in Our Lives A recent article in Psychology Today explains that stress is a constant in our lives; it is always in flux and that stress and our bodies’ response to it is not in and of itself a bad thing. Think “fight or flight” our evolutionary response to making sure we didn’t get eaten by that annoying dinosaur. That dino-stressor kicks off a cascade of hormones that elevate our blood pressure, heart rate and increase our energy burn presumably so we can outrun that T-Rex.
The Effects of Stress In a recent review of the physiological effects of stress, scientists and clinicians have demonstrated the negative effects on everything, including our central nervous system, cardiovascular, immune, gastrointestinal and endocrine systems. We are all familiar with stress-induced headaches, difficulty sleeping, and upset tummies.
Cardiovascular System & Memory Unmanaged stress can also negatively impact a person’s cardiovascular system by increasing blood pressure and heart rate which over time can lead to “stress” cardiomyopathy or increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Studies have shown impairments in memory recall, as well as cognitive processing, are also linked to chronic stress.
Our Emotions
Healthline reports people who are stressed usually have a hard time controlling their emotions. Sound familiar to anyone? These emotional outbursts can lead to or exacerbate already existing problems with our spouse (or significant other), friends, family or co-workers. This can lead to even more stress and physical illness.
Reducing Stress in 2020 So, as you make those New Year’s resolutions, let’s not lose sight of how important removing or managing our stress is to our health, happiness, and well being. Resolve to try to be more self-aware of your own stress and how it is affecting you and others around you. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor, spouse, family or friends about things that are stressing you. There is no shame in speaking up and you can take comfort in the knowledge that you are definitely not alone.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME To read the entire blog, please visit erikhalvorsen.org.