Stress
and Your Health
We've
already looked at the survival benefits
of the fight-or-flight response, as well
as the problems this caused for our performance
in work-related situations. We've also seen
the negative “burnout”
effect of exposure to long-term stress.
These effects can also affect your health
– either with direct physiological
damage to your body, or with harmful behavioral
effects.
The behavioral effects of stress
The behavioral effects of an over-stressed
lifestyle are easy to explain. When under
pressure, some people are more likely to
drink heavily or smoke, as a way of getting
immediate chemical relief from stress.
Others may have so much work to do that
they do not exercise or eat properly. They
may cut down on sleep, or may worry so much
that they sleep badly. They may get so carried
away with work and meeting daily pressures
that they do not take time to see the doctor
or dentist when they need to. All of these
are likely to harm health.
The direct physiological effects of excessive
stress are more complex. In some areas they
are well understood, while in other areas,
they are still subject to debate and further
research.
Stress and heart disease
The link between stress and heart disease
is well-established. If stress is intense,
and stress hormones are not ‘used
up’ by physical activity, our raised
heart rate and high blood pressure put tension
on arteries and cause damage to them. As
the body heals this damage, artery walls
scar and thicken, which can reduce the supply
of blood and oxygen to the heart.
This is where a fight-or-flight response
can become lethal: Stress hormones accelerate
the heart to increase the blood supply to
muscles; however, blood vessels in the heart
may have become so narrow that not enough
blood reaches the heart to meet these demands.
This can cause a heart attack.
Other effects of stress
Stress has been also been found to damage
the immune system, which explains why we
catch more colds when we are stressed. It
may intensify symptoms in diseases that
have an autoimmune component, such as rheumatoid
arthritis. It also seems to affect headaches
and irritable bowel syndrome, and there
are now suggestions of links between stress
and cancer.
Stress is also associated with mental health
problems and, in particular, anxiety and
depression. Here the relationship is fairly
clear: the negative thinking that is associated
with stress also contributes to these.
The direct effects of stress in other areas
of health are still under debate. In some
areas (for example in the formation of stomach
ulcers) diseases traditionally associated
with stress are now attributed to other
causes.
Regular exercise can reduce your physiological
reaction to stress. It also strengthens
your heart and increases the blood supply
to it, directly affecting your vulnerability
to heart disease.
Although this site focuses mainly on stress
and work performance, many of the tools
and techniques within it will help you manage
stresses that would otherwise adversely
affect your health. However, if you
suspect that you are prone to stress-related
illness, or if you are in any doubt about
the state of your health, you should consult
appropriate medical advice immediately.
Keep in mind that stress management
is only part of any solution to stress-related
illness.
Take stress seriously!
The next
article explains how stress affects
your performance.
|
