The Silent Killer

 STRESS CAN KILL YOU

    Your central nervous system (CNS) is the facilitator of the fight/flight response, in the brain where the hypothalamus begins the process alerting the adrenal glands to release stress hormones. These hormones are vital factors of the nervous system, they are called adrenaline & cortisol. These are the hormones that gets you pumped, they cause the heartbeat to speed up in order to send blood deposits to the emergent area. 

    These emergent areas can be the heart, lungs, liver, muscles, or other important organs; when under stress, your heart suffers greatly during and after the stressful impact or cause. There are various factors that influence or affect a person's stress level such as: home environment, children, work setting, relationships, mental conditions and traumatic events. Studies state that "stress impacts all systems of the body including muscles, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous and reproductive systems." 

Stress can present itself through various symptoms, for example... 

A stress headache can cause you to lose concentration and focus, have poor sleeping & eating patterns which can cause anxiety

Muscle tension & fatigue causes restlessness, irritability, mood swings and aggressive episodes which can result in angry outbursts, rude behaviors and unpleasant thoughts

Chest pain caused by stress can result in lack of desire, understanding and focus with strong feelings of being overwhelmed and disoriented which affects hormone production, mood regulation and mental cognition patterns

    Although our bodies are naturally designed to endure stress in small intervals, chronic and traumatic stress have major deficits on the body, gut and brain. When the body is stressed or under immense traumatic pressure, the muscles tense up and breathing patterns begin to increase and speed up. This causes airway restriction, limited blood circulation and loss of concentration; long-term stress can cause tremendous detriments on the circulatory system which weakens the heart and vessels. 

    Since the mood is produced inside of our guts, it's common to link gut health with mental health. Experts and nutritionists discuss that the more stress you experience, the more digestive issues you have. Overall, stress can become very deadly if not handled or managed properly, it's important to understand the significance of stress in regards to our daily lives and professional careers.