| |
Stress Management: Medical Risks Of Stress
Karen S. Cole
What is Stress?
Stress may be defined as the three-way relationship between
demands on people, our feelings about those demands and our
ability to cope with them. Stress is most likely to occur
in situations where:
- Demands are high.
- The amount of control we have is low.
- There is limited support or help available for us.
Who is Affected Most by Stress?
Virtually all people experience stressful events or situations
that overwhelm our natural coping mechanisms. And although
some people are biologically prone to stress, many outside
factors influence susceptibility as well.
Studies indicate that some people are more vulnerable to the
effects of stress than others. Older adults; women in general,
especially working mothers and pregnant women; less-educated
people; divorced or widowed people; people experiencing financial
strains such as long-term unemployment; people who are the
targets of discrimination; uninsured and underinsured people;
and people who simply live in cities all seem to be particularly
susceptible to health-related stress problems.
People who are less emotionally stable or have high anxiety
levels tend to experience certain events as more stressful
than healthy people do. And the lack of an established network
of family and friends predisposes us to stress-related health
problems such as heart disease and infections. Caregivers,
children and medical professionals are also frequently found
to be at higher risk for stress-related disorders.
Job-related stress is particularly likely to be chronic because
it is such a large part of life. Stress reduces a worker's
effectiveness by impairing concentration, causing sleeplessness
and increasing the risk of illness, back problems, accidents
and lost time. At its worst extremes, stress that places a
burden on our hearts and circulation can often be fatal. The
Japanese have a word for sudden death due to overwork: karoushi.
Medical Affects of Chronic Stress
The stress response of the body is like an airplane readying
for take-off. Virtually all systems, such as the heart and
blood vessels, the immune system, the lungs, the digestive
system, the sensory organs, and the brain are modified to
meet the perceived danger.
A stress-filled life really seems to raise the odds of heart
disease and stroke down the road. Researchers have found that
after middle-age, those who report chronic stress face a somewhat
higher risk of fatal or non-fatal heart disease or stroke
over the years. It is now believed that constant stress takes
its toll on our arteries, causing chronically high levels
of stress hormones and pushing people to maintain unhealthy
habits like smoking.
Stressed-out men are twice as likely as their peers to die
of a stroke. There are weaker such findings among women, which
is likely due to the fairly low number of heart disease and
stroke cases among women, rather than a resistance to the
health effects of chronic stress. Women seem slightly more
susceptible to the effects of stress than men.
Simply put, too much stress puts you at dire risk for health
problems. Whether it comes from one event or the buildup of
many small events, stress causes major physical alterations
that often lead to health problems. Here is a list of some
of these changes:
o Our heart rates increase, to move blood to our muscles
and brains. o Our blood pressures go up. o Our breathing rates
increase. o Our digestion slows down. o Our perspiration increases.
o We feel a rush of strength at first, but over time stress
makes us feel weak.
These reactions helped our ancestors survive threats by
preparing for either "fight or flight." Today, our bodies
still react the same way, but the events that cause stress
do not require this ancient mechanism.
Stress can also greatly raise our risk of:
- Ulcers and digestive disorders
- Headaches
- Migraine headaches
- Backaches
- Depression
- Suicide
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Alcohol and drug dependencies
- Allergies and skin diseases
- Cancer
- Asthma
- Depressed immune system
- More colds and infections
We have to learn ways to relieve stress, because when it
goes on for very long or happens too often, it obviously can
cause many serious health problems.
Copyright © 2005 by Karen S. Cole
RAINBOW
WRITING, INC. -- We offer inexpensive freelance writing,
copy editing, ghost writing, graphics and CAD, Internet marketing,
publishing help, search engine optimization, professional
free services and supercheap dedicated web hosting and site
development.
Article Source:
http://articlekarma.com
|
|
