Is Stress causing you to Age Prematurely?
We all seem to have one thing in common the day we turn forty we feel a little stressed and depressed. If the average person lives until they are in their 70’s then we are well and truly middle aged with seemingly little to look forward to except increasing aches and pains, brittle bones, body degeneration, an increasingly foggy brain, failing hearing and eyesight and finally death most like form cancer or heart disease. When we think of old age this is the picture we have. And on the day of our fortieth birthday old age appears to be just around the corner.
But are these things inevitable or can we take our future in our hands and stop this process of decay before it begins. If this process of decay was pre-ordained by the gods it would happen to everyone everywhere. However there are at least three culture around the world in which people regularly live to over 100 and are full of life and vitality. This gives us hope that it is possible.
If we compare the changes normally associated with aging with side effects of stress we find some remarkable similarities. So just how much is due to the passing of time and how much to our stressful life styles.
Conditions we associate with aging include:
- Heart disease
- Arthritis
- Aches and pains
- memory failure
- dementia
- increased risk of cancer
- suppression of the immune system
- Slower healing of cuts and bruises
- Wrinkles and hair loss
- Brittle bones
- Reduce sex drive
Now let’s look at the effects that prolonged stress can have on your body.
When you face a stressful situation your body responds immediately. All your energy goes to preparing to escape from danger. Your nervous system and hormones such as adrenaline, corticosteroids and endorphins prepare your body for danger and suppress any function that is not vital to immediate survival. These hormones and nervous system reaction continue any stress response for several hours until you can relax and release the hormones from your body. If you are facing one stressful situation after the other or your stress is prolonged these hormones can have major impacts upon your body causing the diseases general associated with stress.
Your heart beat increases and arteries constrict and blood pressure raises to increase the rate of oxygen getting to the skeletal muscles heart and brain. Therefore long term stress can lead to hypertension and heart problems.
More oxygen is needed so bronchial tubes expand and breathing becomes more rapid. This can lead to shortness of breath and asthma.
Digestive system is shut down so blood can go to limbs and heart. If your digestive system is suppressed you will not be able to absorb essential nutrients. These nutrients are needed to repair and rebuild cells and organs. Therefore if you are suffering from long term stress your body will be slow to heal from injury. Amino acids are vital for production of hormones. If you are not absorbing your food properly you will have trouble producing hormones which are necessary for you body to function smoothly.
Cholesterol is released from the liver to be used as a fuel. Therefore long term stress can lead to a raise in cholesterol levels which can block arteries
Cortisone released by the adrenal glands suppresses the immune system. It reduces the thymus and lymph glands which are a major part of the immune system. This can lead to a number of illness from the common cold to arthritis and cancer.
Insomnia is a common complaint for those suffering from stress. A hormone that keeps as young is the human growth hormone. This hormone is produced after we have been asleep for about 90 minutes. Therefore if you are not sleeping well you will look and feel older because of a lack of human growth hormone.
Long term stress can also have an effect mentally. It can lead to depression, apathy, mental exhaustion, irritability, anxiety, overwhelm and a poor memory.
Another reaction to stress is the suppression of your reproductive system, which can lead to infertility and a less than satisfactory sex life.
Reducing your stress for a healthy old age
The first step to take is to recognize the effects that stress has on your body and how it can cause major illness and premature death. Thereby making it easier for you to make stress reduction a priority in your life.
There are four main areas to consider when trying to reduce your stress levels
Relaxation
- Exercise
- Diet
- Thoughts
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Tags:aging,insomnia,relaxation,stress
Tags: 
