Stress Facts

Stress happens to all of us.  There is no way around it, but how we handle that stress can make all the difference.  There are three stages that we go through when we experience stress.  The first stage is called alarm/reaction stage.  Our sympathetic nervous system kicks in here.  The thyroid and adrenal glands produce hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) prepare our bodies to take flight.  Our blood pressure is raised, our heartbeat increases, and we conserve water and sodium (this conserves for later use in case of sweating or bleeding), and we burn glycogen.  As the glycogen is depleted, the second stage kicks in.  This stage is the resistance stage.  Here our bodies look for an alternative energy source.  Cortisol is the hormone that is produced.  The hypothalamus and pituitary also secretes more hormones.  These hormones breakdown fat and protein and turns them into more glucose.  The immune system begins to be compromised in this stage, which means we are susceptible to infections, illnesses, some forms of cancer, and sexual dysfunction.  The third stage, which is the exhaustion stage, kicks in because the fat and protein reserves are depleted.    Once the protein and fat is gone, our muscles begin to waste away and our bodies weaken.  This will lead to high blood pressure, nervous and muscular dysfunction.  It can even cause death.

Some of the affects of stress are:  stomache aches, diarrhea, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive, loss of appetite, personality or behavior disorders, heart disease, stroke, and skin conditions.

It has been found that 90% of all illnesses are contributed by stress, and that 70 to 80% of all visits to the doctor are stress related.  It costs employers in the way of absenteeism, lost productivity, and insurance claims.

When under stress, there are some things that you can do to minimize the affects.  Make sure you eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, and find ways to relax.