Stress: How to De-Stress without Doing Less Read Online Free PDF Page B

pain. Meanwhile, of course, as the less important blood vessels receive less blood, stress can worsen illnesses related to poor circulation such as Reynaud’s phenomenon, where people find that the blood supply to fingers and toes actually cuts off in cold weather, leaving their digits white, pale and painful.
    Most of the problems stress causes in the cardiovascular system are related to the constant stimulation it receives. But remember that while the sympathetic system is overactive, it also effectively turns down the systems that control digestion. This means that stress very often causes some kind of digestive symptoms – from mild problems with indigestion to more serious conditions that requireinvestigation and treatment. Chronic stress has been linked to conditions such as IBS, painful stomach cramps and problems with wind and constipation or diarrhoea. Stress can also contribute towards the development of stomach ulcers – both directly and because people often respond to stress by smoking or drinking too much alcohol, which can contribute to ulcers. An ulcer can be very painful and in some cases can become serious and cause secondary problems such as bleeding from the ulcer.
    Stress can also cause muscular problems. When we are stressed, we are more likely to keep our muscles slightly tensed, meaning that they can become fatigued and painful. This effect may well contribute to another common symptom of stress – a type of headache called a tension-headache, where a mild or moderate pain around the head can feel like a band being tightened. This can be caused by muscles in the neck and at the back of the scalp being too tense and can be aggravated by poor posture. Chronic stress can also contribute to all kinds of other common muscle pains, including back and neck problems. So, although a bad back might be in part down to sitting badly, high stress levels will make it even worse.
    As well as causing its own physical problems, stress can contribute towards the development of some illnesses. Studies have shown that long-term stress inhibits our immune system, meaning that we are more prone to coughs, colds and other bugs. In essence, we really can get ‘run down’. Meanwhile some viruses – illnesses we have as children such as chickenpox – don’t leave our body but remain dormant, waiting for a chance to re-emerge if our immune system is not working too well. Stress can trigger things such as shingles (which is whatwe get when the chickenpox virus re-emerges). Just how significant this impact on the immune system can be is still being investigated; it is even being linked to the development of some cancers.
    The impact of stress on metabolism and eating
    If you ask people what they do when they are stressed, one of the first things they are likely to mention is a change to their eating (or drinking!) habits. Stress has a significant impact on the way we break down and use our food. When the stress response is triggered, it causes various chemical processes to occur that result in glucose and certain types of fat molecules being released into the blood. This is to make sure we have the energy we might require to respond to the apparent threat. But if this happens over a long period of time, stress starts to cause more significant changes to the way we use and store foodstuffs such as fat and glucose. Blood levels of these molecules become chronically raised, and this can have serious consequences for our health.
    We hear a lot about a type of diabetes that is becoming more and more common. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the cells in our body starting to become resistant to the insulin that is circulating. (People with Type 1 diabetes stop making insulin and therefore do not have enough circulating.) Insulin is absolutely vital, triggering our cells to take up the glucose they need in order to function. This process is also involved in getting fat cells to mop up and store any excess