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Positive Outlook Buffers Damaging Effects of Stress
http://www.avalonhealthinfo.com/articles/927/1/Positive-Outlook-Buffers-Damaging-Effects-of-Stress/Page1.html
By Joseph Mercola, DO
Published on 04/6/2005
 
When stress strikes, your body’s adrenal glands produce hormones, such as adrenaline, which increase blood pressure; chronic stress keeps these hormones at dangerously high levels. However, studies suggest that severe cases of stress extend beyond the temporary increase in blood pressure and begin to injure cells of the body--which may accelerate the aging process, leaving people susceptible to various diseases.
It looks as though stress is taking over America’s health, as up to 90 percent of the doctor visits in the United States may be caused by a stress-related illness.

Severe Stress Attacks on a Cellular Level

When stress strikes, your body’s adrenal glands produce hormones, such as adrenaline, which increase blood pressure; chronic stress keeps these hormones at dangerously high levels. However, studies suggest that severe cases of stress extend beyond the temporary increase in blood pressure and begin to injure cells of the body--which may accelerate the aging process, leaving people susceptible to various diseases.

To determine exactly how stress affects people on a cellular level, researchers analyzed the cells of mothers caring for critically sick children. The goal was to discover if stress affected a key part of the chromosome known as a telomere, thought to be markers of aging. Telomere’s cap the ends of chromosomes, which contain the body’s DNA. As people begin to age, this cap begins to dwindle down. Disease steps in when the telomere gets too short to work effectively and cells all over the body begin to die.

An interesting finding of the study: The longer women cared for sick children, the shorter the telomere became.

Another study consisted of caregivers of Alzheimer's patients, who dedicated at least 100 hours a week to caring for a loved one with this degenerative disease. Researchers found that a damaging substance in the blood called interleukin 6 increased dramatically among caregivers. Based on the findings the following startling analogy was made: The average caregiver was about 70 but had Il-6 levels that looked like those of a 90-year-old.

Techniques for Conquering Stress include:

  • Regular exercise
  • Prayer or meditation
  • Asking for help when demands are overwhelming
  • Developing a support network of friends or family members
  • Regarding unavoidable stress as an opportunity for growth

USA Today March 22, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

What impressed me most about this article was it is the highest government estimate of the impact of stress on disease. Here is a direct quote from the story:

“Up to 90 percent of the doctor visits in the USA may be triggered by a stress-related illness, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

This is quite consistent with my experience and that I find nearly all of the patients I see have stress as a serious factor in the cause of their illness. I’m glad to see official government confirmation of this observation. Stress can also play a major role in the immune system, and it can have negative impacts on:

  • Blood pressure
  • Cholesterol
  • Brain chemistry
  • Blood sugar levels
  • Hormonal balance

Since you cannot eliminate stress entirely, (and would not want to as if you did not have stress you would die) you can work to provide your body with tools to compensate for it. The key is not getting rid of the stress itself but adjusting your body’s ability to tolerate the stress.

© Copyright 2008 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.