You wake up late, dive into the shower, scramble into your clothes, grab a stale muffin from the kitchen, dash out to the car, roar out of the driveway and smack into the middle of a massive traffic jam. At the office, your boss and two impatient clients are waiting for you.
Welcome to the world of stress, an inescapable reality of the modern life that has been linked to many disorders ranging from allergies to asthma, from stomach problems to heart disease. In fact, some physicians estimate that at least 80% of their patients have stress-related symptoms.
Chronic stress can aggravate neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis(MS) and other inflammatory diseases. Researchers from Texas A&M University found out that stress may also interact with viral infections and increase vulnerability to diseases such as MS. Stress can take a toll on your teeth, leading to periodontal disease, a scientific review has found. Periodontal disease is caused when bacteria build up between the gum and the jaw bone, first causing gum disease and then invading the bone which results in bone loss. The findings are published in the August 2007 Issue of Journal of Periodontology.
Stress has also been linked to gaining weight. There is a direct connection among stress, a high-calorie diet and unexpectedly high weight gain, say scientists from Georgetown University.
Stress and Alzheimer's are possibly linked. The stress of everyday life may add to the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego found that a number of studies point to stress as a contributing factor: people who are prone to chronic stress are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, but the link is not well understood yet.
The natural remedies—in conjunction with medical care and used with your doctor's approval— may help ease stress, according to some health professionals.
HERBAL THERAPY
Siberian ginseng tones the nervous system and increases your resistance to stress, says Mary Bove, L.M., N.D., a naturopathic physician and director of the Brattleboro Naturopathic Clinic in Brattleboro, Vermont. She suggests taking this herb in either capsule or tincture form, following the dosage recommendations on the label. Siberian ginseng supplements are available in most health stores.
Consult Your Health Care Provider When:
- You have uncontollable anger and you don't know why.
- You have insomnia.
- You have difficulty sustaining relationships.
- You have persistent feelings of guilt.
- You consistently rehash incidents in your mind.
Do you suffer from stress, anxiety or depression? Now you can get fast relief with safe, all-natural Gabatrol. Stress, anxiety and depression are feelings that can lead to weight gain, alcohol and drug addiction, failed relationships and other serious consequences. Often the pharmaceutical drugs given to patients for stress and anxiety can have dangerous side affects. Pure Life, a pharmaceutical company has a new, all-natural alternative called Gabatrol. Gabatrol works by optimizing chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters.
A University of Calgary study found people who consume a single, high-fat meal are more prone to suffer the physical consequences of stress. When a single, high-fat meal can make you more reactive to stress, it's a cause for concern because it suggests a new and damaging way that a high-fat diet affects cardiovascular function, says Dr. Tavis Campbell, senior author of the study published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Common SENSS Stress Control
Dr. Bryan Hiebert, professor at the University of Calgary, says that
Sleep, Exercise, Nutrition, Social Support (SENSS) are common ways that people can control stress.
Sleep -- Often simply getting enough rest can produce a substantial reduction in stress.
Regular exercise -- helps to control stress in three ways. First, vigorous exercise helps people reduce the level of stress hormones in the blood stream and return to normal when they are stressed. Second, when people exercise, especially in repetitive activities like swimming and jogging, they often experience a mental tranquillity similar to meditation. Third, when people engage in regular exercise that improves their aerobic functioning they experience more rapid recover from stress. They may still get stressed in some situation, but they return to normal more quickly.
Nutrition -- Caffeine gets people's physiology worked up. Often people feel worked up and jittery simply because they have had too much caffeine. When they reduce their caffeine intake, they find they are more relaxed, and often experience a reduction in stress-related symptoms such as heart palpitations. Vitamin B is utilized in helping people return to normal after they have been stressed. A high sugar diet, especially when combined with low levels of Vitamin B, can produce a condition where people take a long time to get over a stressful experience.
Social Support -- reduces the impact of stress. The size and composition of the support group and how often or where it meets does not seem to be important. The mere fact that the group is available, serves to reduce stress. People who have a strong social support network are far less likely to be overtaxed by the demands they face.