Stress is a cascade of hormonal, neurochemical, and biochemical reactions to external stimuli triggering the “fight-or-flight” response by the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system has two components
Sympathetic nervous system
- Acts like a gas pedal in a car
- Triggers the fight-or-flight response
- Provides the body with a burst of energy to respond to dangerous stimuli
Parasympathetic nervous system
- Acts like a brake
- Promotes the “rest and digest” response
- Relaxes the individual once an emergency has passed
- Returns body to homeostasis (maintain balance of internal physiology)
Stressors that elicit the "fight-or-flight" response may lead to acute or chronic stress
Acute stress
- Short-term stress
- The “fight-or-flight” response that is essential to manages dangerous situations
- Body recovers quickly from an acute episode of stress
Chronic stress
- Long-term stress
- A lingering “fight-or-flight” response that is elicited by life challenges
- It is unsustainable for the body to maintain the “fight-or-flight” response for weeks and months
- Damages all organs and organ systems
- Disruption of homeostatic equilibrium (state of balance within the body)
- Damages DNA
General adaptation syndrome (GAS)
GAS Definition
- Pattern of physiological changes that the body automatically goes through in response to stress
Three stages of GAS
- Alarm
- Resistance
- Exhaustion
Advancing through these stages increases the risk for chronic stress relates disorders
- Hypertension
- Anxiety and depression
- Cushing disease
- PCOS
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Alzheimer’s disease, etc.
- Gastrointestinal disorders: IBS, GERD, SIBO, exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) etc.
Alarm Stage
The alarms stage AKA the “fight-or-flight” response is the body’s initial response upon perceiving a stressor
- This response leads to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system to act on the body to mobilize resources to fight the stressor
- Sympathetic nervous system activation stimulates the adrenal gland which releases cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline
- The release of hormones causes physical symptoms
Signs and Symptoms
- Anxiety
- Dilated pupils
- Heart palpitations
- Heightened senses
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Muscle tension in lower back and neck
- Pale or flushed skin
- Rapid breathing
- Sweating
Resistance Stage
Resistance is the second stage of stress response. This stage is the attempt by the parasympathetic nervous system to
- Return organs and systems to normal function
- Repair from the alarm stage while body mobilizes resources against the stressor and remains alert
- Repair from the initial shock if the stressor is no longer present
- If the stressor continues, the body will not signal to return to normal functioning levels, stress hormones will be secreted to maintain a sympathetic response
- Unresolved stress leads to disturbed digestive system, cardiovascular system, immune system, reproductive system, and sleep
- Unresolved stress also leads to the third stage of stress response
Signs and Symptoms
- Anxiety attacks
- Bowel issues
- Depressed mood
- Fatigue
- Frustration
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Poor concentration
- Sadness
- Stress-related illnesses
- Trouble sleeping
Exhaustion Stage
Chronic stress that continues for a prolong time
- Exhausts the body’s capacity to maintain the sympathetic drive
- It is unsustainable for the body to maintain this highly energy depleting state
- The resources become exhausted
- The body becomes susceptible to disease
- Leads to the depletion of physical, mental, and emotional resources
- Hypothyroidism, diabetes, infectious disease, etc.
- Eventually the body is unable to cope with stress
Signs and symptoms
- Fatigue, burnout, decreased stress tolerance, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, emotional instability, irritability, sleep disturbances, physical weakness, fatigue, etc.
Recovery: The missing response stage
- The stress paradigm is missing a key component the “Recovery Stage”
- Integrating stress recovery techniques is essential to
- Detoxify from toxics (environmental, social, relationships, etc.)
- Creates the state for health
- Essential elements of recovery
- Restoration
- Rejuvenation
- Revitalization
What are the health effects of chronic stress?
- Brain
- Heart
- Lungs
- Liver
- Stomach
- Skin
- Immune System
- Endocrine system
Brain
Physiological effect
- Amygdala size of a small kidney bean located in the middle of the brain detects environmental danger
- Signals the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to respond
- Detects both emotional and biological stressors
- Emotional stressor may cause feeling of fear, sadness, or frustration
- Biological stressor is internal stress due to injury or illness
- Stimulates the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
- The sympathetic nervous system drives the fight-or-flight response
Consequence
- Memory
- Atrophy (shrinking of the brain) and neurogenesis disorders (Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Huntington disease, Schizophrenia, etc.)
- Decreasing the number of neurons (kills brain cells)
- Accelerating memory disorders
- Reduction spatial memory
- Weakening verbal memory
- Cognition and learning
- Activation of neurodegenerative processes
- Reducing of cognition
- Behavioral, cognitive and mood disorders (Depression, Bipolar disorder, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit disorder, etc.)
- Decreasing reaction time
Heart
- Increased heart rate
- Dilation of coronary blood vessels
- Increased cardiac contractility
- Peripheral vasoconstriction
- Stress hormones: adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol eliciting these effects
Consequence
- Increased blood pressure, cholesterol (adrenaline and noradrenaline releases free fatty acids), triglycerides, and blood sugar
- Increased blood cholesterol leads to cloths in the blood and in the artery walls and occlusion of the arteries
- Increased risk for hypertension, heart attack, and pulmonary embolism
- Increased circulatory system strain
- Increased risk of heart and circulation disorders e.g., coronary heart disease (CHD)
- Increased systemic inflammation effecting the heart
Lungs
Physiological effect
- Dilation of bronchi
- Increased respiration rate
Consequence
- Increased wear and tear of the lungs
- Increased inflammation in the lungs
- Exacerbated existing chronic lung diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, asbestosis)
Liver
Physiological effect
- Increased conversion of glycogen to glucose
Consequence
- Low grade inflammation leading to fat accumulation in the liver cells
- Increased hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol
- Exacerbated Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
- Injured liver tissue (weakened blood flow)
Stomach
Consequence
- Exacerbated gastrointestinal disorders
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Increased acid reflux
- Stress-induced gastritis
Skin
Physiological effect
- Increased oil production in skin glands
- Induced Inflammation through the gut-skin connection
- Disturbed balance of bacteria in the gut leading to inflammation
- Disrupted epidermal barrier (top skin layer that keeps moisture and provides protection from harmful microbes)
Consequence
- Clogged pores and acne breakouts
- Increased skin irritation
- Flares-up chronic inflammatory skin conditions
- Eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea
- Internal inflammation can manifest externally as skin conditions
- Acne, eczema, and psoriasis
Immune System
Physiological effect
- Stress-related immune change
- Down regulation of immune function
- Chronic immune suppression
- Reduced effectiveness of immune system
- Stress hormones elicit an anti-inflammatory response
Consequence
- Stress-related disease
- Body is vulnerable to infection
- Increased risk for frequent illness
- Progression of immune system diseases (arthritis, fibromyalgia, Lupus, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease)
Endocrine system
Physiological effect
- Stress-related immune change
- Stress triggers neuroendocrine hormones leading to immune dysregulation resulting in autoimmune disease
- Increased cortisol levels
- Increased blood-sugar levels
- Insulin resistance
Consequence
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Cushing syndrome
- Progression of auto-immune diseases
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (Hypothyroidism)
- Grave’s disease (Hyperthyroidism)
When to see a doctor
Seek a healthcare provider when experiencing disproportionate and persistent stress to address your root cause
DISCLAIMER
This information is intended for educational purposes only and it is not intended to take the place of consultation with your physician.
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