Facts About Stress
Stress will literally kill you. If you want to live longer you need to manage stress. Stress can be defined as anything that your body doesn’t like. This can vary from person to person. Some people are deathly afraid of public speaking. Others enjoy it. Some people hate cold weather and other love to play outdoors in the snow.
Stress causes disruption of secretion of cortisol from the adrenal glands. In a stressful situation high amounts of cortisol are released so that we can fight or flight. If this happens only occasionally it isn’t a problem, but when we are constantly in fight or flight mode the increased cortisol becomes a disruptor for other key systems of the body.
There are some universal stressors. Sleep deprivation is the most common. Although some people need more sleep than others, not getting enough of the hours that you need can be devastating for your health. Caffeine and other stimulants cause higher output of cortisol. Bright lights and especially light from our electronic devices raise cortisol levels. Going a long time without eating causes our adrenal glands to work extra hard to help to maintain blood sugar is also very stressful.
Signs of stress are fatigue, craving salt or sweet, sensitivity to light and even getting dizzy when standing too quickly. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms arrange a no-charge consultation in our office with one of our doctors.
