HLT 201 Chapter 4, Spring 2016

HLT201 Chapter 4: Stress Omar Bou Hamdan, MD Introduction  Some stress may help your body to prepare for certain challenges, so it's probably impossible to live without any stress.  But too much stress, especially if it's day in, day out, can cause physical and emotional problems.  It’s the human reaction to events in our environment Definition of Stress A Nonspecific Response of the Body to any Demand made upon it. WHAT IS STRESS?  American Medical Association Definition:  "Any interference that disturbs a person's mental or physical well-being.“  Health definition: Well being of the physical, mental and social status of an individual. Physiology  The release of chemicals called cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline) increases  heart rate  metabolism  breathing  muscle tension   Liberation of Glucose  Constriction of Blood Vessels of Skin  Dilatation of Pupils  blood pressure Stress and health  The exact role of stress in causing illnesses isn't known. However, it's clear that stress can temporarily weaken the immune system.  Too much stress inhibits digestion, growth, tissue repair, and response of your immune system and inflammatory systems.  People with high stress are twice as likely to develop colds as those with low-stress. Psychosomatic Diseases Hypertension Peptic Ulcer Asthma Skin Problems DID you Know ?  25% of youth ages 8-17 complain that they don't have enough free time.  Approximately 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are due to an illness related to stress.  The United States spends about $1billion annually on stress- related illness.  Job burnout experienced by 25% to 40% of U.S. workers is blamed on stress.  Getting into college  Getting engaged..  Winning the lottery Eustress: Good Stress Distress: Stress from bad sources  Difficult work environment  Overwhelming sights and sounds  Threat of personal injury Top Ten Stressful Life Events  Spouse’s death  Divorce  Marriage separation  Jail term  Death of a close relative  Injury or illness  Marriage  Fired from job  Marriage reconciliation  Retirement Daily hassles and demands  Environmental stressors  Family and relationship stressors  Work stressors  Social stressors Four Types OF Stress 1. General Stress:  Everyone has this kind of stress  It resolves itself within a day or two  No intervention is necessarily required Four Types OF Stress 2. Cumulative Stress:  Stress builds up in the body  It becomes more difficult to alleviate the symptoms  more serious physical and mental symptoms Four Types OF Stress 3. Acute Traumatic Stress:  Critical Incident Stress (Sudden death of spouse, etc).  Produces considerable psychological distress  A normal reaction to abnormal events Four Types OF Stress 4. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For some people, the stress symptoms don't go away, the body doesn’t regain its equilibrium, and life doesn’t return to normal. This severe and persisting reaction to trauma is known as Needs professional Treatment. Common symptoms of PTSD:  Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or nightmares about the trauma  Avoidance of places and things associated with the trauma  Exaggerated response for signs of danger  Chronic irritability and tension  Depression. Women and stress  Women are particularly susceptible to stress caused by hormonal changes.  Puberty  Menstrual cycle  Pregnancy and Menopause Hormone levels fluctuate consistently and cause stress. General Adaptation Syndrome (G.A.S) 1. Stage of Alarm 2. Stage of Resistance 3. Stage of Exhaustion Body’s response to stress General Adaptation Syndrome  Stage I - Alarm Reaction  The “fight or flight” response which causes you to be ready for physical activity  However, it decreases the effectiveness of the immune system which makes you more susceptible to illness. General Adaptation Syndrome  Stage II – Stage of adaptation  If stress continues, the body adapts to the stressors it is being exposed to  If the stressor is starvation, the person experiences a reduced desire for physical activity to conserve energy, and the absorption of nutrients from any food intake is maximized General Adaptation Syndrome  Stage III – Stage of Exhaustion  Stress persists for a long time  The body’s resistance may be reduced or collapse quickly  People who experience long-term stress may have heart attacks, severe infections, or stomach ulcers Short Term Stress Symptoms  Dry mouth  Cold hands and feet  Increased sweating  Rapid breathing  Faster heart rate  Tense muscles  Feelings of nausea  Diarrhea  A desire to urinate Long Term Stress Symptoms  Insomnia  Change in Appetite  Sexual disorders  Aches and pains  Frequent colds  Feelings of intense and long- term tiredness  Prone to illness BEHAVIORAL STRESS SYMPTOMS  Yawning  Talking too fast  Talking too loud  Twitching  Nail biting  Grinding teeth  Drumming fingers  Aggressive  Over reacting  Emotional  Defensive  Irritable  Irrational  Defensive  Hostile  Critical BEHAVIOR STRESS SYMPTOMS  These symptoms will have a negative affect on performance:  By reducing effectiveness  Making the person accident prone  People tend to be forgetful  People have very negative attitude  Body neglect  poor judgments  Increasing absenteeism MYTHs in Stress 1: Stress is the same for everybody 2: Stress is always bad for you 3: Stress is everywhere, so you can't do anything about it. 4: No symptoms, no stress 5: Only major symptoms of stress require attention HEALTHY LIVING TO CONQUER STRESS  Examine your diet  Lower your salt intake  Lower your intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates  Lower your caffeine intake  Drink water Rest: Get a minimum of six hours of continuous rest  Exercise:  At least twenty minutes, five times a week  Break a sweat, to release endorphins HEALTHY LIVING  Talk things out with someone you trust - a family member or a good friend HEALTHY LIVING  Relaxing needs to be part of your daily routine. HEALTHY LIVING  Make an increased effort to organize your life  Ask for help  Delegate things when you need to HEALTHY LIVING  Learn to manage your anger  Anger affects your health  Anger causes you to over react to many situations  Rethink the situation and learn to be more flexible HEALTHY LIVING  Take charge of your life.  Act appropriately - don’t simply react to stressful situations  Find balance in all that you do.  Too many people look for an easy answer to stress management by misusing :  Alcohol  Drugs  Marijuana  Medicines & Pills  Etc……. Factors Reducing STRESS 1. Interpretation of Aims 2. Use Power of Mind (Relaxation, Hypnosis, Meditation) 3. Change some Aspects of Life leading to Stress 4. Ask for Help when needed ( Teacher, Counselor,….) References  www.stress.org.uk  www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management  www.merck.com- the Merck’s manual