Stress Diseases Affect Health, Part 2

We have seen how our emotions can cause bodily symptoms. A person who is worried may get a headache.

Fright may cause the heart to palpitate. Unpleasant thoughts may cause the stomach to turn over and even induce vomiting. Anxiety is known to cause frequent urination and induce diarrhea.

Although bodily symptoms usually predominate in stress diseases, underlying cause is really mental, acting through the emotions. It is known that toxic goiter commonly follows some emotional upset in young women; it may also occur in men because of excessive worry.

A feature of the disease is the way the symptoms periodically come and go. The patient is always worse during times of stress but almost certain to be free from symptoms when relaxed.

Nonrenal hypertension (high blood pressure which is not due to kidney disease) is a frequent complaint of modern civilization, its exact cause is said by doctors to be unknown. What is known, however, is that the arteries are surrounded by a network of nerves. These nerves, working automatically, can cause the arteries to dilate or contract.

When a person suddenly springs out of bed, the arteries in the legs must contract slightly; otherwise, the blood in the body would drain suddenly down to the legs away from the brain, causing the person to faint. He can be revived by raising his legs above the level of the head.

The effect of anger, worry and anxiety is easy to picture. The whole arterial system of the body is slightly contracted because of the nervous tension that is generated. As the arteries are narrowed down, the blood pressure goes up.

It can be seen that in all stress diseases, the real cause is the nervous tension that is developed as a result of fear, worry, anxiety and other negative emotions. And the most damaging effect of stress is aging--and consequently, a shorter life span.

Medical studies fully recognize the importance of rest and relaxation in countering stress diseases. Patients are advised to take it easy, relax, and stop worrying. By not worrying about the future, one can develop a calm and philosophical state of mind.

(In next week's posting, we shall offer suggestions on how to further reduce and minimize stress)