Stress And Your Health

Unfortunately, stress is a common part of life. It affects those who are old, young or those who are rich or poor. Not all stress is necessarily bad. Some are necessary in order to help us cope with daily changes.

In earlier times, stress helped our cave-dwelling forefathers well since it allowed them to react to a perceived threat or danger. This is known as the fight-or-flight response. When confronting a wild animal or another threat, our ancestors relied on stress to cope with the situation by either running or fighting. When such an event occurs, the body releases hormones like adrenalin and cortisol that speed the heart rate, slow digestion, and bring blood to the major muscles so the person can get the extra energy and strength needed to adapt to the situation. When the threat is gone, the body relaxes and returns to normal.

In modern times, however, the fight-or-fight response can be dangerous since it often appears in situations where its not needed like in traffic or during a hard day at the office. Compounding the problem is the fact that many of us don’t have time to relax. Instead of helping us cope, chronic stress harms the body in many ways.

Chronic stress can make us develop physical symptoms such as increased susceptibility to colds and chronic headaches. More serious health problems can occur if the individual is continuously faced with stress. Such conditions caused by stress include diabetes, hair loss, depression, hyperthyroidism, heart disease and even obesity. Likewise, stress has been linked as the cause for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, tooth and gum disease, ulcers, sexual dysfunction and even cancer. For women, such stress can cause abnormal bleeding or the absence of menstruation.

In order to cope with stress, try to relax and develop a system for dealing with daily tensions. For example, you may want to consider investing in your very own home spa.

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