The Silent Killer
Is Stress Real?
We often hear this question because stress is not something tangible for us to wrap our hands around – to feel it, measure it, listen to it, smell it, or look at it. When you go to the doctor, you can measure your health in a multitude of ways. We have scales to measure our weight, clocks to measure our resting heart rate, lab exams to measure our cholesterol, etc. We can put substantial numbers on almost anything to compare ourselves to our healthy ideals. But how do we measure stress? How much is too much? Unfortunately these are questions that have no easy answers; we are not fortunate enough to have stress meters, like the one pictured. But stress is very much real and very dangerous.
Our bodies are designed with a fight or flight response during acute stressful situations. During these situations, we must decide whether we stay and prepare to fight, or if we need to run away from the situation. Though we do not face as many wild animals or other dangers as our ancestors faced, this response is still an important defense mechanism for us today. This mechanism can be instinctually helpful, such as knowing when we are in danger and need to flee, in performance sports to give us the extra boost we need, or even to the extreme of landing an airplane pummeling toward the ground. These situations all have a performance and time component in common.
Performance
When having to flee from a predator, survival is the most important function. Our nervous system kicks into high gear to provide a quick boost of energy to our muscles, open our airways to supply the higher demand for oxygen, as well as dilating our pupils and relaxing our lenses to focus on what we need to see. During this time, we do not need to worry too much about other functions, so the body stops digestion of food and even relaxes sphincters that typically retain urine and feces from expelling uncontrollably.
Time
As you might have noticed, acute was a key word for stress to be a natural defense mechanism. However, when stress becomes a chronic problem, it can cause a multitude of problems or make the problems we already have worse. It can trigger emotional problems such as anxiety, tension, nightmares, loss of sleep, depression, and anger. It can also have devastating physical manifestations such as headaches, body aches, fatigue, digestive problems, obesity, tobacco cravings, and increased blood pressure. If you take a closer look at that list, you might notice that some of those signs and symptoms are high risk factors for heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for Americans, but we are fortunate to know that it is preventable.
What Does Stress Look Like?
Stress can look different in every person. Things that may be stressful to one person may not be stressful for another. People often experience signs and symptoms of stress and are not even aware of it. It is no wonder we call it the silent killer. To help you manage stress, be sure to see your doctor if you are experiencing any of the following:
- Tension
- Anxiety
- Loss of sleep
- Depression
- Anger or impatience
- Back pain
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Mood swings or crying spells
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- High blood pressure
- Shortness of breath
- Neck pain
- Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet
- Weight loss/gain
- Smoking or drug use
What Should You Do About Stress?
Two of the biggest causes of stress include work and money. It is no coincidence that they go hand-in-hand. So the obvious thing to do is to get rid of work and money, right? If only it were possible for most of us. If you have been following our articles, you may have started picking up that the prevention theme is prevalent. But with stress, we are going to take a different approach, and give tips to manage it. Finding ways to relieve stress is much more efficient than trying to eliminate it in our fast-paced society.
The first step in managing stress is recognizing it in yourself or your loved ones. The second thing you can do is to find ways to deal with stress and expel all that pent-up energy. Listed below are some common ways to help alleviate stress.
Exercise
This is absolutely crucial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The great news is that it is often the number one way to relieve stress. Remember that exercise does not have to be something you dread. Keep it simple, keep doing it on a regular basis, and keep it fun. Doing something as simple as adding a 10-minute brisk walk to your day can add years to your life and reduce your stress levels.
Relaxation Techniques
Activities such as meditation, yoga, Pilates, prayer, biofeedback, and even taking a deep breath can be extremely helpful. They are not only good exercise, but help with your state of mind, which is very important in dealing with stress.
Sleep
Sleep is crucial as it is your body’s time for regeneration and rest. It is recommended that you get a full night’s rest — between 6-8 hours of sleep a night. Caffeine, sugary foods before going to sleep, and even sleeping pills can disturb your sleep. As always, we recommend as natural a sleep as possible. Taking daily naps can also do wonders for you.
If you happen to work during the night, be sure that the room you sleep in is dark. Recent studies have found that sunlight plays an important role in our sleeping patterns, so be sure to wear eyeshades if you sleep in a well-lit room.
Diet
There is no big secret here: diet plays an important role in your health. There is no secret potion, or a new wave program to begin. Your diet is what you eat every day, and it should be well balanced. Your diet should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables. The more colorful the variety the better, as the colorful plants tend to be more nutrient-rich. Providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function will allow it to be more efficient in dealing with environmental stresses.
Enjoy Life
This is an easy concept to say, and more difficult to practice. But there are things in life that you can control, and things that you cannot control. As much as a burden as these things may be, learn to let go of the things you cannot control. Keep control of the things that make you happy, such as hobbies you enjoy. Do not forget about your friends and family. As busy as you may become, you still need time in your life for your loved ones. YOU NEED THEM. Studies have shown that people need human interaction, and that having these people around improves the quality of your life.
Get Help
Your body gives you warning signs when something is wrong. Do not ignore them. If you are having trouble coping with stress on your own, it is okay to seek help from others. Professional counseling can be extremely beneficial in dealing with high stress.
Keeping yourself well aligned is also very beneficial. The purpose of Chiropractic care is to help your body make sure that it is healthy and able to function as it was meant to. Seeing your Chiropractor in stressful seasons (accountants, we are looking at you!) will not only help with those tense muscles, but will also allow your body to manage your stress properly so you can function more efficiently.
Did you know?
- Our “Fight of Flight” response is meant for short term stressful situations.
- Your body expresses warning signs when under stress, both emotional and physical signs and symptoms.
- Stress can be a trigger or amplifier of serious illnesses, including heart disease.
- Managing your stress is a must in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Regular exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress.
- Professional counseling and Chiropractic care are very effective in managing stress.
