Diseases and Conditions: Can Stress Cause Serious Illness?

You have probably heard that the mind and body are connected; it is true, they are. In fact, the conscious mind, the central nervous system and the immune system are interconnected and they are affected by stress and anxiety.

Effects of stress on the immune system - When you are stressed, you may notice that you have flu-like symptoms. It's very common that people operating under a great deal of stress will experience sleep disturbances, lethargy, and gastric upsets like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. People living with lots of stress may also experience weight loss, weight gain, coughing and other respiratory related illnesses. The amount of stress you have is influenced by the stress hormone, Cortisol that you have in your body.

Studies have been done to study the effects of stress on the immune system. The studies showed that stress interferes with the activity of certain types of immune cells, called T cells. T cells are specialized immune cells that search out and destroy viruses and disease causing bacteria. When these cells are compromised by stress you are more likely to become sick with cold and flu viruses.

Effects of stress on the heart - Cortisol, the stress hormone, can also indirectly affect the heart. This important hormone drives our fight or flight response through a complex system, called the autonomic nervous system. When you feel threatened, your heart rate and blood pressure will rise. This is accomplished through the release of adrenaline and other hormones into the blood stream. We need stress to protect us from danger. However, sometimes the body perceives danger where there is none, and the stress and anxiety affects the blood vessels and heart. Chronic heart disease, stroke, and sudden death could result from uncontrolled stress on the body.

Effects of stress on the endocrine system - Cortisol can start a chain reaction related to stress. Too much stress on the body can cause the body to release certain types of proteins, called cytokines, which cause an inflammatory process within the organs of the body. The immune system can be affected by these inflammatory proteins and result in an autoimmune disease such as type 1 diabetes.

Prevent disease by controlling stress - Many of the diseases and conditions that we fall victim to are preventable. Of course, nothing is written in stone. You can do everything right and still get sick, but in general, if you make healthy changes in your lifestyle before you ever get sick, you have a higher chance of staying well. In other words, eating well and staying active on a regular basis can help to keep your mind, body and immune system healthy.

Authors note: My mind, body and immune system are easily affected by stress. I've been under a great deal of stress for a couple of weeks now, and it has affected my sleep pattern and my respiratory and digestive system. I have gone days without sleeping. I will nod off for a few minutes during the day, and then be awake until daybreak. Then I will sleep for an hour or two out of sheer exhaustion. My immune system must have taken a hit, because I am short of breath, have cold symptoms and gastrointestinal upsets. My symptoms are severe enough that I have made an appointment with my physician to get me back to feeling normal again.

Sources:

Stressaffect.com

Clevelandclinic.org

Personal experience