What Are The Effects Of Stress On Your Body?

How do you define stress? Is it when you have a million things to get down before the end of your workday? Is it when your children are starting to drive you crazy? Is it when you and your significant other can't seem to get along? All of these situations create stress and are all examples of emotional stressors. Most of us relate "stress" to emotional stress and don't think about or know what else can stress us. But have you thought about the effects of stress when you eat a cheeseburger, drink a soda, or sit all day at work? Just as emotional stressors affect us, these physical and chemical stressors create imbalances in our body driving it further away from homeostasis.

Stress can be defined as a normal physiological response to situations or stimulus, which are perceived as "dangerous" to the body. The human body is complex; it must stay with in a very narrow range of physiological function to maintain homeostasis. The body is exposed everyday to different persons, species, situations and stimuli. If the exposure is hazardous then the body prepares itself to face the situation - the reason being is to maintain internal homeostasis and the bodies normal functioning should not be affected. This response is called the fight or flight response.

The fight or flight response occurs because the body needs more energy when its faced with situations deemed "dangerous". The initial step of this response is taken by the hypothalamus of the brain that in turn eventually stimulates your adrenal glands (located above your kidneys). The adrenal glands secrete two important hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. These two hormones work together to see that the body gets more energy by providing more oxygen and glucose. For these things to occur, the following adjustments are done. First, adrenaline makes blood flow toward your muscles, heart, and brain - and away from the skin and digestive track. Then, your heart beats rapidly and forcefully increasing heart rate and your blood pressure. At the same time your eyes dilate and your blood vessels constrict. Finally, the sugar stored in your liver is converted into glucose (blood sugar) for quick energy during the fight or flight response. Once the trigger is gone, the hormone levels drop and the body returns to normal. However if stress occurs repeatedly, then all the hormone levels are persistently high not allowing the body to come back to normal.

How often do you feel stressed? I think most of us would answer everyday. This means that we consistently have high levels of adrenaline and cortisol running through our blood. Remember, when we are stressed the body is looking for quick energy. To gain more energy, glucagon is being converted into blood sugar. This means you consistently have higher levels of blood sugar than what you should. Think about that. Is it hard for you to lose weight? Has your doctor told you that your headed toward diabetes? Have you improved your diet but still can't control your blood sugar? At my office, Living with Motion Chiropractic, we understand the effects of stress on your body. All day, everyday, your body is adjusting and compensating to maintain homeostasis. The next time you feel back pain from sitting all day (physical stress) or you get angry with your children (emotional stress) or you shovel down a burger with fries (chemical stress), remember how these situations impact your health. Finding a balance in your life physically, emotionally, and chemically will allow your body to respond appropriately to the effects of stress!