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Stress

Started by Simon.S, 2009-03-03 09:32

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Simon.S

Hi guys - thanks for giving me this opportunity.
Question: How does stress effect the body, in other words impair my health?

mensfe_admin

#1
How does stress effect the body:

To give a brief background and what stress does to us we need to consider how we evolved - tens of thoughsands of years ago as humans we were part of the food chain from other animals and as such we needed to react instantly if threatened either by fighting back or making a very fast exit. So we humans evolved the ability to respond to these situations by a coping stratergy which we know today as "fight or flight".
Under sudden stress we get a burst of energy which is usually quite exceptional in its strength and endurance, as our body pumps out stress hormones. The heart speeds up, blood flows to the brain and the muscles tence and increase in strength by up to 400%. We breath faster to bring more oxygen to the muscles.

However this fight or flight response in every day life may not help as the stress hormones still flood the body when preparing for physical action when there is none to respond to. This constant can harm our health it has been estimated that two-thirds of all visits to ones GP is for stress related issues. recent evidence indicates that the physical changes associated with stress may contribute to the (sorry guys) the leading form of death which is as you all guessed: Heart disease and cancer.

The effects of stress is said to include the following:
Cronic fatigue, digestion upsets, headaches and back pain.
It can effect the blood cells that help fight off infection, so we are more likley to get colds and other illnesses.
Constant stress can increase blood pressure and increase the risk of a stroke and heart attacks.
It can diminish ones labedo (sexual desire).
And, I think we will end on this note which we all understand; it can lead other behavoirs that are said to contribute to disabilities such as smoking, alcoholism, drug abuce and overeating.

We suggest that anyone suffering from stress or is concerned about stress related illnesses should visit their GP.