By Tom Everts PA-C, IFMCP
Remember the last time you were stuck in traffic? The feeling as you check the clock over and over again? We know this sensation as stress. But stress is more than an emotion. The domino effect that stress has on your body is an amazing evolutionary tool, and very useful in short bursts. For example, upon finding a bear in your bedroom, you run! During this fight-or-flight response ones heart rate increases, lungs expand, eyes dilate and digestion gets switched off. The problem is that your body cannot tell the difference between running from a bear, and running into traffic. The response is the same, and if left unchecked can cause considerable damage.
When you are stressed, the adrenal glands release the hormones cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones enter circulation and find their way to the heart, where they increase the blood pressure and heart rate. Exposure to these hormones on the blood vessel walls contributes to atherosclerosis, increasing risk for heart attack and stroke.
When stress hits the brain the fight-or-flight response begins, this is your sympathetic nervous system. The gut is signaled to stop digestion and diverts circulation to the brain and extremities. This disrupts the rhythmic muscle contraction in the intestines, leading to irritable bowel syndrome, as well as increased sensitivity to gastric acid which leads to GERD. In addition, the gut microbiome which contributes to regulation of the immune system becomes imbalanced.
Our appetite is affected as well. Initially, epinephrine will turn off the desire to eat, prioritizing survival. If cortisol remains elevated, however, our hunger increases, especially for high-calorie junk food. The excess calories in a stressful state causes accumulation of fat surrounding the organs. This fat tissue is an organ that releases inflammatory immune molecules, cytokines, which increase the risk of chronic diseases including diabetes and heart disease.
Meanwhile, back in the brain: chronic stress is changing brain function. The amygdala, our fear center, becomes overstimulated and may increase in size. The hippocampus helps with learning, memory and stress response. Degeneration occurs here under chronic stress, making it more difficult to deal with acute stressors and increasing the risk for depression and Alzheimers disease. Not a good situation.
When our body is constantly in fight-or-flight, a lot can go wrong. Balance through the parasympathetic, or rest and digest mode, is paramount. The problem is that we don’t talk about stress as a major contributor to chronic disease, and in conventional practice the resources to treat it appropriately are lacking.
Here are some practical tips to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system:
Breathe
It seems simple enough, but we often forget. You may notice when you are feeling overwhelmed that you are not taking deep breaths.
Breath in through your nose and feel your abdomen rise, hold for several seconds. Breathe out through your mouth, slowly. Repeat, as many times as you need.
Exercise
We all know that exercise has benefits, including stress reduction. However, it is often difficult to find time for exercise. For this reason, I encourage doing an activity that you enjoy. If you are stressed about going to the gym, then that is counter-productive.
Exercising in groups helps build community and accountability. Join an exercise class or a recreational team, if you play sports. Taking walks in nature reduces stress, and gets your body moving as well. Yoga is a great way to link exercise and meditation.
Meditation
The data supporting meditation is striking. Most of us find it difficult to get started. How do we know we’re doing it right? Here’s the thing: you can’t really mess it up. It is a way for you to relax. It could be as simple as getting lost in music, art or even during exercise. Nowadays there are apps that can help guide you during your meditation.
Emphasizing the impact that stress has on our overall health, longevity and risk for chronic disease is crucial. We can use the above tools to reduce the long-term effects of stress on our physiology. This is a significant piece of the puzzle to optimize our health and live our best lives.
Linell King MD, renowned internist and author of “Mastering Vitality” received his medical degree from the University Of Wisconsin School Of Medicine, and completed his residency at The Johns Hopkins University Sinai Hospital Program of Internal Medicine. He has been practicing for twenty years; currently at his “Naples Vitality” office in Naples, FL.
Our practice size is limited to ensure the best possible care for our clientele; we qualify and accept patients committed to working collaboratively to create improved health and continued success.
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