Anyone can experience stress at some time in their lives. This does not always affect you negatively because stress has some positive benefits. We will learn about “good” and “bad” stress and what you can do to relieve your stress if it is causing too many negative symptoms.
What Is Stress?
Stress is what occurs when you are faced with something particularly challenging. At this time, the body releases hormones that cause you to be more alert and prepare you to take action if necessary. They have several effects on your body, including increasing blood pressure, blood sugar levels and heart rate. This is known as the “fight or flight” response. If you have a healthy diet and take l theanine supplement, you will be able to handle stress with least effects on your overall health.
“Good” Stress / Short-term Stress or Acute Stress
Good stress is the type you need to survive when you find yourself in a precarious or dangerous situation. For example, if you have a deadline on a work project, short-term or acute stress causes you to be alert so that you can work on this project and make sure that it is finished before the deadline. It helps you remain focused on the task at hand and ready to tackle any challenges that present themselves. After you meet your deadline, short-term stress simply disappears.
Short-term stress helps you navigate through situations that may cause harm to you. For example, if a car cuts you off while driving on the roads, short-term stress will sharpen your senses, reduce your reaction time so that you can face the situation quickly and increase your physical performance. The sudden release of hormones you receive now causes you to hit the brakes to avoid a collision quickly.
Good stress does not just appear when danger is present. You may need to finish a paper for school by a particular time, but short-term stress will give you the motivation to get the job done. You may receive a burst of energy while you are working, and the stress can go away when it is finished.
“Bad” Stress / Chronic Stress
Chronic stress is when it does not go away after the difficult situation passes, but this is not healthy for your body. Chronic stress causes a hormonal imbalance as it significantly impacts the production of one of the body’s main hormones. This hormone is the “human growth hormone” or HGH, and it is implicated in growth, muscle strength, bone density and overall body maintenance. Discover an HGH prescription if your HGH is disrupted for proven and quick results.
Stress Weakens the Immune System.
When you begin to experience stress, the body reacts by producing greater amounts of cortisol hormone. If this response is only short-term, it boosts your immunity because it limits inflammation. As the stress becomes chronic, instead of boosting your immunity, it causes more inflammation. That is because the body becomes accustomed to having greater amounts of cortisol running through the bloodstream.
In addition to increased inflammation, chronic stress also causes a decrease in your lymphocytes or the white blood cells that fight infections. If you have low levels of lymphocytes, you are more susceptible to cold sores, the common cold and viruses.
As chronic stress continues, it also causes anxiety and depression, and anxiety and depression are two more reasons that inflammation increases. Long-term inflammation creates an immune system that has to work extremely hard. It becomes too tired to continue and fails to protect you against illnesses and diseases.
Stress Increases Blood Pressure.
When you are under stress, the body releases hormones that cause your blood vessels to constrict and your heart rate to increase. This is what causes your blood pressure to increase. This is only temporary, but this situation remains if the stress becomes chronic. Then, you may be at risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. Although this may only cause short spikes in your blood pressure, it is still dangerous because a short spike can cause heart attacks, strokes and other damage, such as damage to your blood vessels, the kidneys and the heart as time goes by.
Stress Accelerates Aging.
First, stress causes the release of cortisol and adrenaline. If this lasts for a long time, it damages the DNA and the cells and causes inflammation. In addition to that, oxidative stress occurs as stress remains chronic. Oxidative stress causes additional damage to the DNA, proteins and cells, leading to premature aging. Chronic stress has also been associated with shorter telomeres, and shorter telomeres contribute to premature aging.
Stress Leaves Us Feeling Drained Both Physically and Mentally.
As you experience chronic stress, it builds up and causes you to feel emotionally exhausted. Emotional exhaustion is one of the signs of burnout. Emotional exhaustion also causes you to feel physically drained and lack energy. This affects your ability to get a sufficient amount of restorative sleep. Still, this condition also decreases your motivation so that you do not feel like doing anything to help yourself.
Emotional exhaustion has several symptoms, including the following:
- Depression
- A sense of dread
- An increase in pessimism or cynicism
- Irrational anger
- Difficulty concentrating
- Nervousness
- Increased or decreased appetite
- Headaches
- Apathy
- Absentmindedness
- Feeling hopeless
- Physical fatigue
- Irritability
- Difficulties sleeping
- Lack of motivation
HGH Deficiency
If you are concerned about an HGH deficiency, we can help you at Nexel Medical. A deficiency in HGH causes your bones, heart and muscles to weaken, increases your risk of heart disease, increases body fat and reduces your sense of well-being. We can offer growth hormone replacement therapy, and it may have the effect of reversing the symptoms you are experiencing.
If you are interested in finding out whether or not you are a candidate for HGH supplementation, contact us today at Nexel Medical.