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What is stress and how does it impact your health?

Understanding causes and conditions will help you control stress.

By Ann Kay Logarbo, MD, FAAP, Medical Director, Ochsner Health Plan

Stress in small amounts can be a motivator for many of us; remember when you were in college, and you had that huge exam coming up? Well, the stress of that exam likely helped you focus on what needed to get done to prepare for it. But when stress is overwhelming and chronic, the negative impact on your physical and mental health becomes evident.

Our bodies undergo automatic responses to acute stress: your heart races, your hands sweat, your body is flooded with stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, to prepare you for what is imminently ahead of you. We have heard the stories of petite moms who lifted cars off their children when faced with the acute stress of their child being trapped by the vehicle. This is our primitive “fight or flight” response driven by massive release of the stress hormones.

When the stress becomes chronic, you tend to get stuck in a “low gear” pattern.

Physically, stress can manifest into abdominal pain, chest pain, flushing, headache, and anxiousness. Over time, this can lead to fatigue, depression, mood swings, under or overeating, illicit drug use and excessive alcohol consumption.

Studies show that stress can also lead to more detrimental effects on the body such as coronary artery disease and hypertension. Those under stress of this degree tend to make poor decisions, hence leading to an increased incidence of vehicle accidents, etc. As attention decreases due to chronic stress, accidental injury increases.

Mentally, stress can wreak havoc on your life. Depression, social withdrawal, and anxiety are directly related to chronic stress. This can also trigger an underlying anxiety disorder and lead to a debilitating panic anxiety disorder.

Studies confirm that chronic stress may contribute to some types of cancer by suppressing the immune system on a cellular level.

We may find ourselves needing to seek professional care if the stress is more than moderating behavior can address.

What can you do about stress?

First, try to identify the cause of your stress. If it can be modified or eliminated, consider that course.

Try to build strong healthy relationships; if someone in your circle is the cause of the stress, maybe the relationship needs modification or elimination… and that’s ok.

Find your outlet. Exercise, reading, or cooking can be great stress relievers. Exercise specifically increases the release of endorphins, your body’s mood stabilizer/booster. Time can be limited, but a walk daily can work wonders for your mental and physical health.

Activities such as yoga and relaxation exercises are great stress reducers. Start slow and work your way up, or just find a quiet place and meditate for 10 minutes!

The key to handling chronic stress is consistency in your stress moderator of choice. Whether you chose reading, walking, yoga or knitting, if it gives you some peace, work it into your daily routine.

Lastly, if these measures do not work for you, seek professional help through therapy.

 

For additional health and wellness articles and events, visit our website at www.OchsnerHealthPlan.com and follow Ochsner Health Plan on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

 

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