Chronic Stress and the Problems It Can Cause

Chronic stress has the ability to cause all types and variances of physical and mental problems. The impact too much stress can have on a person’s life can really take a toll on his or her overall health and well-being. It is important to get a handle on your stress before it is able to trigger issues with your health. If you are already struggling with too much added pressure in your life, certain lifestyle changes need to be implemented to keep any problems from progressing.

Stress is not always a bad thing. In fact, we need some levels or stress in our lives but when we are experiencing too much stress that is when problems can arise. Stress management expert, Elizabeth Scott, M. S., states that our bodies were made to handle acute stress but not chronic stress. “Chronic stress results from a state of ongoing physiological arousal. This occurs when the body experiences stressors with such frequency or intensity that the autonomic nervous system does not have an adequate chance to activate the relaxation response on a regular basis.”

It is not only our personal lives that induce our health concerns, our career, environments and traumatic events could also be major factors in why people succumb the side effects of chronic stress. When a person is unable to effectively manage the stress they are experiencing, it could lead to problems like headaches, anxiety, digestive issues, depression, weight gain, and various skin aliments. In reality, there are very few health problems that stress does not play a role in or exasperate to some degree.

Besides the body’s response to stress which we can easily see in the form of physical and mental ailments, we also are experiencing an internal reaction. When we are feeling stressed out, the body’s adrenal glands release cortisol and DHEA, both play a role in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. If an abnormal amounts of cortisol and DHEA are released, our bodies could have a tougher time managing chronic illnesses.

If you think any of the chronic physical or mental problems you are experiencing are related to an overload of stress, the Salivary Adrenal Stress Profile administered by ALCAT Worldwide may help you determine if your health is suffering because of the added pressure your body is constantly feeling. Procedures for the test, which observes the effects too much stress is having on a person’s adrenal glands, are very simple and include several saliva samples taken at different parts of the day. Anyone who has been suffering from a long-term medical condition should consider the Salivary Adrenal Stress Profile to ensure that his or her adrenal glands are performing healthily to successfully manage stress.

What To Know About Food Intolerance Symptoms

People often confuse and interchange the terms “food allergy” and “food intolerance” but there are distinct differences between the two, including what symptoms are presented, that everyone should be aware of to be better informed about the health concerns and signs associated with both.

When someone is allergic to a certain food or foods, an offensive response in their immune system is triggered to fight off the food it mistakes for a threat and reactions to this threat can affect the whole body. When someone is intolerant to a certain food or foods, their body is unable to properly digest what is causing the intolerance and is followed by symptoms that usually affect the stomach and digestive system.

Other major differences between the two are symptoms for food allergies usually come on suddenly, and an allergic reaction can be triggered by even the smallest amount or trace of food. Also, a food allergy can be life threatening because symptoms can include a sudden drop in blood pressure, difficulty swallowing or breathing or anaphylaxis.

However, symptoms of a food intolerance are not life-threatening and they are known to gradually develop over time. Usually symptoms of a food intolerance begin hours after the food is consumed, and can last for hours or days. Symptoms of a food intolerance have even showed up in some cases 48 hours after the trigger food was consumed. People with food intolerances may also still be able to eat foods, in very small amounts, that cause a intolerant-like reaction because it may only happen if a lot of a certain food is consumed.

This makes food intolerances much more difficult to diagnose than a food allergy.

Also unlike food allergies there is a possibility for a person’s tolerance to improve. Once a food intolerance is identified and eliminated from a diet, the person who was once affected by the trigger may no longer experience intolerant symptoms after they reintroduce the food.

Food intolerances are much more common than food allergies and it is also not unlikely for someone to have an intolerance to more than one type of food or food groups. While the symptoms for a food allergy and a food intolerance may overlap slightly, people who suffer from food intolerances may have general symptoms that can be mistaken for other ailments like irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal problems.

The following are some common symptoms that can be attributed to a food intolerance:

• Asthma-like Symptoms: Some people who suffer from a food intolerance have asthma-like symptoms when they are exposed to the trigger food including problems breathing normally.
• Digestive Issues: A food intolerance can trigger a number of problems with a person’s digestive system including nausea, gas, bloating, diarrhea, cramps and vomiting.
• Headaches/Migraines
• Heartburn
• Irritability
• Rapid Breathing
• Skin Reactions: Food intolerances do not always cause symptoms that are just internal. They also have the capability to be reflected by symptoms that appear on the skin. Conditions like eczema, rosacea, and even acne can all be triggered by a food you didn’t even know you were intolerant to.

• Sweating