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.
