Stress: your body under attack
by Anita Harris
All Rights Reserved
Having trouble sleeping? Popping more antacids than usual? Or
maybe you've had more colds this winter. Maybe these symptoms are related to stress.
Just about everyone has experienced a pounding heart, tense muscles and sweaty
palms—the body's evolutionary "fight or flight" response when facing a
threat.
It's a well-known phenomenon that a certain amount of stress can
sharpen your mental prowess, and new research suggests that brief exposures to certain
stressors may enhance the body's immune response. Though responses designed by evolution
to protect us from predators may sometimes be useful, says Richard Sloan, Ph.D., director
of the Department of Behavioral Medicine at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in
New York, they are counterproductive in many situations today.
Your body under stress
When you experience stress, Sloan explains, your blood clots more readily so you bleed
less, and blood flows to your muscles so you can fight back with strength. This would be
very helpful if you were being attacked by a lion, he says, "but it's not useful when
your boss yells at you." There is considerable evidence to suggest that prolonged or
frequent exposure to stressful events can increase our vulnerability to illnesses like depression, heart attacks, and the common cold.
Scientists are only just beginning to understand how this works, according to Firdaus
Dhabhar, Ph.D., an assistant professor and neuroimmunologist at Ohio State University.
As he explains it, when our sensory organs encounter a potential threat, they transmit
signals to the brain which, in turn, releases chemicals that stimulate nerves and glands
throughout the body. In the adrenal glands—which are located near the
kidneys—the brain chemicals induce the secretion of the hormones corticosterone and
epinephrine, which stimulate the organs to act in various ways.
The result is what Dhabhar calls "the typical stress response:"
- The heart beats faster.
- The muscles tense.
- Sweat glands are activated.
- Blood flow is diverted from the intestines to other parts of the body.
- Immune cells move from the blood to other organs.
Ordinarily, Dhabhar says, within three hours following the threat, "Everything
goes back to normal."
The dangers of chronic stress
Under conditions of ongoing or repeated stress—such as continual worry and
anxiety, a bad work situation, or medical illness—the body's "fight or
flight" system gets "hammered," Dhabhar says. Constant stimulation leads to
over-production of stress-related hormones and "the systems begin to break
down." This, in time, can negatively affect the immune system.
According to Herbert
Benson, M.D., chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center in Boston, chronic stress can lead to:
Chronic stress can also increase the risk of heart attacks and make premenstrual syndrome and hot
flashes more severe. Recent research suggests that high levels of stress can speed up the
progression of AIDS and multiple sclerosis, and hinder the
effects of medication.
Crying wolf
Repeated or constant exposure to stressors may also impair the brain's ability to
evaluate whether a stress response is warranted and make it less able to regulate the
response, according to a 1998 article in the New England Journal of Medicine by
Bruce McEwen, Ph.D., of the Rockefeller Institute. This could be problematic at several
levels—from the day-to-day management of average stressors to suddenly being faced
with a situation that would normally call up the fight or flight response.
Recognizing there's a problem
To begin with, it's important to recognize the presence of stress-induced symptoms. The
signs may include:
- Excess anxiety
- Stomachaches
- Headaches
- Diarrhea
- Temper outbursts
- Unexplained anger or crying spells
- Nightmares or insomnia
- Personality
changes
- Impatience
Reducing the stress
Change your situation
Do what you can to change stressful conditions, Benson advises. If they involve a
relationship or workplace situation, he says, "more often than not, this is difficult
to do."
Learn to relax
Benson advocates invoking what he calls "the relaxation response." This
well-known technique, based on the principles of transcendental meditation, involves
repeating a word, sound, prayer or phrase or performing a repetitive muscular activity.
"When other thoughts come into your mind, let them go passively, and come back to
repetition." According to Benson, who is the founder of the Mind/Body Medical
Institute, these activities have been shown to quiet the brain and to decrease blood
pressure, heart rate, and the rate of breathing.
Change your outlook
Sloan suggests learning relaxation techniques such as biofeedback,
and what he terms "cognitive restructuring," a method that involves questioning
whether the physiologic reaction you are experiencing is rationally justified. "You
may learn that your office is being moved and think 'that's the worst news I've had in
years,'" he explains. By "reforming" the issue, you may decide it's not so
bad—and your body will respond accordingly.
Practice remaining calm
Sloan also suggests rehearsing in advance how you will respond to a stressful
situation. For example, if you need to deal with a difficult person, "figure out how
you will address your concerns without yelling or provoking an angry attack and then
practice these behaviors."
Seek help
Others suggest developing a network of family and friends to avoid social isolation, and
seeking professional counseling if you need to.
Keep it simple
In Dhabhar's view, "Grandma's advice still stands." You should "eat good,
wholesome food; exercise moderately and get enough sleep." This may seem "too
simple," he says, but being in a state of healthy equilibrium helps you minimize the
impact of stress and makes your body better able to fend off any immune challenges that
arise.
Resources
The Mind Body Medical Institute
http://mindbody.harvard.edu/index.htm
American Institute of Stress
http://www.stress.org/
Stress Management Briefs from the University of Minnesota
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/familydevelopment/DE7269.html
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April 6, 2000
Copyright
All Rights Reserved by Anita M. Harris
