Stress Related Diseases
Posted: Sunday, January 10, 2010
by Olufemi Ladeinde
Rencare Limited
Stress is an inevitable
part of the life for modern man. It is unavoidable. Stress is the body's way of
reacting to a "red light" situation in which the body believes there
is danger and prepares itself to face that danger head-on or take immediate
evasive action. The body prepares to make sure of survival and calls on all of
the body's resources - psychological and physiological to ensure it survives. The
body literally prepares to stand and fight, or to run. This is the so called "fight or flight" syndrome.
The brain will always
generate a stress reaction when you find yourself in a situation that is physically
or mentally demanding. However, some degree of stress is acceptable and is
actually good for you. It gives an edge to your readiness to function, keeps
your level of alertness high and allows your body to react decisively if and
when necessary.
For example, a student
preparing for an examination would benefit from a little bit of stress as it
would make revising for the examination more focused. Similarly, exercise
places a little bit of stress on the body which produces a beneficial effect so
long as you don't go overboard with the exercise regime. The chief executive of
a major corporation will benefit from the stress generated by his competitors when
creating his plan for development especially in a depressed economy.
Prolonged stress on the
other hand causes physical and mental damage. Three main organs of the body, the
Hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain and the adrenal gland found on top of the
kidneys form the body’s first line of response during stress. These organs
initiate the production of hormones like noradrenaline
and cortisol which prepare the body
to meet the perceived danger by driving up the heart rate and blood pressure
and pulling glucose out of storage to provide fuel for the fight or flight.
This is responsible for the almost superhuman efforts seen in times of major
crisis such as when a man lifts a car off an injured victim of an accident.
Responses under stress are not thought through only acted upon.
The chemicals generated in
response to stress prepare the body to face and deal with high pressure
situations that threaten life. For a lot of us the call on the body to gear up
for a fight or flight situation is constant and unrelenting. This can turn what
is meant to be a healthy response to a pathological one. Unrelenting stress is
a recipe for disaster.
Continually triggering the
stress response depletes reserves of essential vitamins and minerals and is a
drain on energy stores. There are individual limits for stress and going beyond
your personal limit carries severe consequences.
Source of stress could be
internal or external. An unrealistic work schedule is one of the recognised
external sources of stress. Others include heavy traffic for commuters, a
demanding boss and/or a wayward child or spouse. You could also generate stress
from within by setting unreasonable personal standards for achievements or
milestones at home or at work or failing to manage finances properly and
getting into spiraling debt. When we get into stressful situations, the body
responds automatically.
Research findings indicate
that stress is a major contributor to a number of disorders. Top of the list
are cardiovascular disorders like heart attacks and hypertension. Mental
disorders like severe depression and psychoses are not far behind.
When stress hormones like
cortisol are released they start an inflammatory cascade that ends up in having
high blood sugar and insulin levels which in turn initiate damage to the blood
vessel lining, the endothelium. The
result is a host of metabolic imbalances leading to problems like high blood pressure,
diabetes and kidney failure.
Some other conditions
mediated by stress include stroke, heart rhythm irregularities, enlargement or
even failure of the adrenal glands, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome
and asthma attacks. Recent research has also shown some correlation between
stress and the development of various types of cancer. It is known that stress
reduces the effectiveness of the immune system making the victim more
susceptible to various infections. Poor immune function has also been seen in
cancer sufferers.
Autoimmune disorders related to stress include
rheumatoid arthritis and allergies of various types. Stressed individuals are
likely to be socially withdrawn, become mentally unstable, be more prone to
addictions and multiple substance abuse and even more severe mental problems.
Eating disorders, leading to anorexia at one end or obesity at the other end of
an unpleasant spectrum, have also been shown by some studies to have components
of stress.
Societies with effective
social support systems are better able to withstand the destructive effects of
stress, but each person hold the responsibility of being vigilant enough to
recognise situations loaded with stress and device strategies to avoid them.
Failure may mean that your health will suffer significantly.
I was making my "comments" in my mind as I read - going to say something about flight or fight and next thing I knew, you were addressing it....then was thinking that some stress is healthy and we wouldn't be alive without a bit of it and you addresses that....I am smiling and also remembering. I used to be friends (as a new RN at a university infirmary) with a group of Nigerian grad students (they were mostly Ibo) in 1970-71 and on. I will never forget Molokwu, Betty, Ike, Ikechekwu, Wilfred.... and the things we learned (I learned some great recipes - farina stew, a spicy chicken dish and more) and I learned that though we might be from very different places we had much in common. the last my husband and I heard from Ike (Ikechekwu) he and his wife were expecting "the patter of little feet" in their home soon. He was an economics and journalism major and always did have a way with words. Reading your articles and finding that my thoughts are running right in line with yours brought me back to the friendships from back then. Our church here in Colorado has a sister church in Port Harcort and get updates from that pastor very often. AND I used to be in Youth With a Mission and just heard a wonderful story about YWAM workers working with some rebels and sharing the gospel with them - last October over 900 put down their arms and came to Jesus. You might say that through the years the Lord has definitely given me a heart for Nigeria and her people. MarijoGod bless you real good Marijo. You have rekindled great memories. Molokwu was 2 years ahead of me in Medical school and was my wife's doctor when I practiced at the Teaching hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. Those were geat days! It's a small world!Well, I thought I posted a response to this and now it isn't here.... the Molokwu I am speaking of would have been in his late 30s in 1970 and he was studying at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. I don't remember what he was studying but they didn't have pre-med there. Maybe it wasn't the same Molokwu? This fellow was a good cook but used to make spicy stew and I teased him about it being "fire engine" stew... I still have the recipe in his writing in my recipe box. I cut down on the red pepper though. I don't remember his last name. Wilfred Obioja (or Obioha) Ikechukwu Christopher Nwobodo, and Christopher Ikediobi or Ikediobe.... Can't remember Betty's last name either --- hum.... Most of them were about 24-25 in 1970. MarijoYou are right Marijo. In 1970 I was 22! We may not be talking about the same Molokwu, although for some reason I believe we are, but we are talking about the same "Spirit"I didn't know the Lord Jesus back then - it was about 4 years later that I quit playing atheist and ran into His most loving arms! My life was turned up side down and backwards and I haven't regretted a moment of time since - I have regrets at my own failings at times but no regrets in running into Jesus' most incredible arms! Blessings to you and your family! Keep writing for your new "family" Thanks! Marijo
