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Many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and stomach ulcers, are more likely to develop in individuals who experience chronic stress. However, the occurrence of a disease is not solely due to stress, as other factors such as exposure to harmful microbes, smoking, overeating, or genetic predisposition can also contribute. Therefore, it is incorrect to assume that allergies or dermatitis are caused solely by intense emotions or overwork at work.
What is stress?
The body reacts to sudden changes in the environment that demand attention by experiencing stress, which enables us to respond and avoid danger, such as evading an electric scooter or other potential threats.
The brain’s control center manages the stress response, which involves nerves that form the spinal cord connecting to all the organs in the body. Nerve fibers from the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system extend from the spinal cord to nearly every muscle, blood vessel, and sweat gland.
The sympathetic nervous system activates the body’s internal organs to mobilize in response to unexpected events. It dilates the pupils, accelerates breathing and heartbeat, and triggers the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream, providing energy to the muscles for fighting or fleeing. Digestion is simultaneously suppressed as the body prioritizes survival, leading to a heightened state of readiness.
When the threat has subsided, the parasympathetic system takes over and instructs the body to “stand down.” It constricts the pupils, slows breathing and heartbeat, and allows the digestive system to resume normal function. The liver stops releasing glucose and focuses on bile production to aid digestion, gradually restoring the body to a state of calm.
In ancient times, when humans were hunters and gatherers, the stress response played a crucial role in ensuring their survival. Stress was typically short-lived, and individuals would return to a calm state once the immediate threat had passed, such as after catching prey or avoiding predators.
As humans migrated to cities from forests and deserts, the sources of stress changed, and new long-term stressors emerged, such as undesirable jobs and crowded public transport. Consequently, stress became chronic, which can have adverse effects on health. Unlike short-term stress, which can be life-saving, chronic stress offers no health benefits.
How stress increases the risk of developing diseases
Stress increases the risk of both mental and physical illnesses because it involves the whole body in a complex reaction.
Mental illnesses
The sympathetic nervous system remains constantly on edge when stress reactions persist for months or years, causing a healthy person to expend too much energy on even the most mundane tasks and gradually lose strength. When a person loses strength, their risk of not coping with a severe life challenge, such as job loss or divorce, and developing depression increases.
Chronic diseases
People with a predisposition or existing disease are even more vulnerable to the dangers of stress. Chronic stress, for instance, heightens heart contractions and blood pressure, putting extra strain on the heart and blood vessels, which can trigger a heart attack in individuals with cardiovascular disease.
Similarly, stress can activate the onset of disease in those with a predisposition to type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other diseases, by overloading already damaged systems.
Infectious diseases
The immune system is directly affected by chronic stress as it raises the level of suppressor T-lymphocytes. These immune cells have the responsibility of regulating the inflammatory process and protecting the body from being attacked by both microbes and the immune system. However, if suppressor T-cells are unnecessarily activated, they start to restrain normal immune responses. This elevates the possibility of getting infected with a viral disease, as it is widely acknowledged.
Wounds and injuries
The healing process of wounds commences with the inflammation of the damaged area of the body, which leads to the eradication of microbes and damaged cells. Following that, the cells in the affected region start to divide rapidly, resulting in the closure of the wound. Chronic stress obstructs the healing of wounds by suppressing inflammation.
Chronic stress generally elevates the risk of developing diseases by acting as the final trigger that breaks the already overburdened camel’s back. However, it does not necessarily imply that people with a predisposition to chronic diseases will not get sick if they avoid standing in traffic, communicating with quarrelsome neighbors or a harmful boss, or avoiding other stress-inducing circumstances. Other factors such as viral infections can also act as the final trigger. Science has observed cases where people with a susceptibility to autoimmune diseases have fallen ill after contracting rotavirus or picking up the herpes virus.
Is there a connection between stress, hives, and allergies?
The immune system mistakenly identifies harmless proteins from food, pollen, or dust as dangerous microbes during an allergic reaction. This error triggers the immune system to destroy the protein using its favored weapon, histamine, in most allergy cases.
The release of histamine leads to inflammation and causes blood vessels to constrict, resulting in swelling. This reaction manifests as symptoms such as a runny nose, red eyes, atopic dermatitis, or hives.
Presently, most allergists contend that chronic stress cannot induce a well-functioning immune system to make mistakes. Although the causes of allergies are not yet comprehensively understood, experts believe that many people are genetically predisposed to allergies from birth. Furthermore, stress, including chronic stress, cannot alter an individual’s genes.
While stress may not cause allergies in individuals, it can provoke an unforeseen attack in those who are already susceptible. Additionally, stress can exacerbate the severity of an allergy attack.
This is how it occurs: When an individual prone to hives becomes upset, their sympathetic nervous system dilates blood vessels, causing immune cells to release more histamine. Consequently, the increase in histamine production intensifies itching, aggravating the allergic reaction.
How to reduce chronic stress levels
The ability of modern city inhabitants to evade chronic stress factors is limited. However, individuals can attempt to regulate the impact of chronic stressors on their lives by implementing specific measures.
The American Psychological Association recommends the following:
Limit the intervention of stressors
To manage chronic stress, experts suggest individuals create a list of all the projects and obligations that trigger feelings of anxiety or depression. They recommend that individuals eliminate all tasks that are not essential, such as riding the subway or attending exams.
If work-related tasks are the primary cause of stress, it is recommended to discuss the situation with a supervisor. It may be possible to distribute the workload, or it may be feasible for a colleague to take on tasks that cause significant discomfort. In exchange, individuals could handle some of their colleagues’ tasks.
Complain to a loved one
Individuals may experience chronic stress if they keep their challenging situations to themselves. However, this does not imply that individuals should become complainers. For many people, talking to loved ones about their problems is a helpful coping mechanism.
It is acceptable to seek support from friends or family members from time to time. They may have experienced similar problems and know how to resolve them. They could provide recommendations on how to organize work tasks or provide contact information for a trustworthy psychologist or psychotherapist.
Cut down on coffee
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, but excessive consumption can cause nervousness. Limit yourself to one cup of coffee in the morning to avoid this. If you used to drink coffee frequently during the workday, reducing your intake can make things easier.
Add daily walks to your schedule
Physical activity raises the concentration of endorphins, which are chemical compounds that enhance mood and lower stress levels. While some jobs may not allow access to the gym, you can always make time for a half-hour walk around your home or office, or at least to the subway.
Get enough sleep
Getting a healthy 7-8 hour sleep decreases the harmful effects of stress. However, chronic stress can disrupt sleep, creating a vicious cycle.
In addition to the usual advice to avoid eating before bed, refrain from using glowing gadgets, and sleep in darkness, you can try developing a habit of writing down all troubling thoughts in a notebook. This works similarly to sharing concerns with a loved one, reducing tension. Once you’ve written everything down, your chances of falling asleep increase.
If nothing helps, seek help
Working with a psychologist or psychotherapist can make it easier for some people to cope with chronic stress. However, finding a suitable specialist can be challenging, and their services can come at a high cost, with consultations ranging from $25 to $100 in different cities. After the tenth appointment, most individuals report feeling better.
Remember
- Short-term stress is a normal physiological response that helps survive in emergency situations.
- Chronic stress is harmful to health because it weakens the body and increases the likelihood of developing a disease in people with predisposition.
- Chronic stress can trigger and intensify symptoms of many diseases, but it does not cause allergies or hives by itself.
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