Idiots are invincible

Dr Ro

Hurray for stress!

Stress can affect individuals in different ways, depending on each person’s predisposition to develop ailments in particular organs or systems. When under stress, some get headaches, others develop skin rashes, etc. Each person may manifest the symptoms on the system that is the most sensitive or weak for him/her.

In a sense, stress makes you more vulnerable to disease. The disease, in turn, creates new stress because you are off work, you consume bland medicines of unknown effectiveness, you worry about following the appropriate treatment or if you have consulted the right doctor, and the list goes on!

Stress also affects our behavioural responses, which may in turn produce physical consequences. Vicious circle …

Illnesses hover constantly above us, their seed blown by the winds, but they do not set in the terrain unless the terrain is ready to receive them. – Claude Bernard

EFFECTS OF STRESS

“Don’t worry about catching a cold, because … you may double the chances of catching a cold!”

Although the above statement is not entirely accurate (germs induce colds, not worry), it does contain an element of truth. People who suffer from excessive, frequent, and long-lasting stress are also first on the list for developing a variety of ailments, including:²³

a) cognitive deficits, such as partial or complete loss of concentration, memory loss, reduced reaction ability, and loss of the sense of time and place;

b) psychological and behavioural problems, including anxiety, insomnia, drug use, depression, sleep problems, and nutritional abnormalities;

c) physiological problems, including pain of any kind, migraines, digestive problems, diabetes, obesity, asthma, flu, cardiovascular diseases, skin conditions such as eczema, autoimmune syndromes etc.

Excessive stress can affect performance levels (causing low productivity or even accidents). Chronic stress can lead to fatigue and burnout (emotional and physical exhaustion).

Exposure to traumatic events such as earthquakes, war, and rape can cause post-traumatic disorder, a severe anxiety disorder with symptoms that include traumatic flashback memories, night terrors, depression, etc.

However, stress can also have positive effects. For example, it can serve as a stimulus and a driver for personal development, self-improvement, and goal achievement. It can also preventatively “vaccinate” the individual with the ability to deal with similar situations in the future.

The good news is that stress management strategies can be taught and have satisfactory results (Rowe, 2000). Two ports for intervention include our perception of an event and our responses to any stressful situation.

Stress arrives … serenity departs.

Stress and heart disease

The secretion of corticoids (during the first stage of adaptation described earlier) increases heart rate and cardiovascular pressure, which if intense and prolonged, may in turn lead to hypertension, atherosclerotic plaques, and coronary artery problems. Severe responses to stress can cause heart attacks in people with heart disease (Kamarck & Jennings, 1991). Even “innocent” exam stress increases cholesterol levels.

The longer lasting and more intense the stress, the higher the levels of secreted hormones, and the potential for damage to the cardiovascular system. Emotional and physical exhaustion leads to fatigue, that, in turn, increases the possibility of cardiovascular problems (Krantz et al., 2000).

In short, to protect your heart and reduce hypertension and blood cholesterol levels, doctors recommend smoking cessation, weight control, attention to nutrition, physical activity, relaxation, etc. But you already know this …

Stress and cancer

Given that stress affects the onset and, possibly the course of a disease, it is only natural to wonder how, if at all, stress affects the course of cancer.²⁴ The reality is that stress can both directly and indirectly affect the course of illness, including cancer.

Indirectly, stress often leads to unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and unhealthy diets. It can also reduce the number of lymphocytes that destroy malignant cells, because of the reduced production of interferon (Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 1986, 2002).

Despite the above, stress is not guilty of turning healthy cells into cancerous ones. Some research refutes the connection between stress and cancer. A longitudinal (1965-1982) study with 6,848 participants showed no connection between depression and cancer (Kaplan & Reynolds, 1988).

Findings of other studies show that individuals with a “fighting spirit” have a greater survival rate than passive individuals who confront the disease with “stoic acceptance” or “helplessness / hopelessness” (Pettingale et al., 1985).

Stress and headaches

The most common causes of headaches and migraines are muscle tension and arterial stenosis. These symptoms also accompany stress.

Even if there is a different causality, headaches can intensify and regress if there is tension in the muscle groups around the neck and shoulder blades. Massage and relaxation techniques can effectively help control stress and stress-related headaches.

Stress and ulcers

Ten percent of the people around us suffer from ulcers. Until recently, we thought that ulcers were caused by stress, hence the saying “ulcers are not so much the result of what you are eating, but what’s eating you.” Today, we know that 60 percent of all peptic ulcers are caused by a bacterial (Helicobacter pylori) infection. By the way, smoking has also been associated to the disease.

In cases of chronic stress, levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach are often elevated. Combined with the corticoids secreted during the alarm stage of stress, they could contribute to gastric problems.