Effects of stress on body

1. EFFECTS OF STRESS ON
THE HUMAN BODY

3. WHAT IS STRESS?
Natural physical and mental reaction to a threat
Omnipresent
• Causes include:
– Work
– Family
– Illness
– Exams
– Death of a loved one
– Natural or man- made disaster
– Riots
– War
• Beneficial for immediate, short-term situations
• Can help cope with potentially serious situations

4. PURPOSE
• Defense mechanism
• Body’s way of protecting the organism
• Response to any kind of demand or threat.
• Sense of danger—real or imagined— body's defenses kick into high
gear in a rapid, automatic process
• “Fight-or-flight” reaction or "stress response"

5. ADVANTAGES
• Helps stay focused,
energetic, and alert
• In emergency
situations, can save life
• Helps meet challenges
– during a presentation at
work
– sharpens concentration
in games
– During study for an exam

6. CHRONIC STRESS
• Beyond a certain point, stops being helpful
• Chronic stress - major damage to:
– Health
– Mood
– Productivity
– Relationships
– Quality of life
• Caused by stressful situations or events that last over a long period
of time
– A difficult job
– Chronic disease
– A nagging spouse
– An absent husband
– Existing health problems may be worsened

7. NERVOUS SYSTEM
• The nervous system has several divisions:
• CNS - the brain and spinal cord
• PNS consisting of the autonomic and somatic NS
• ANS has a direct role in physical response to stress
• Divided into sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the
parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)
• When the body is stressed, the SNS generates the "fight or
flight" response.
• All energy resources shift toward fighting off a life threat,
or fleeing from an enemy.
• SNS signals adrenal glands to release hormones - adrenalin
and cortisol

8. ACUTE STRESS
Increased stress hormones
— adrenaline, noradrenaline
and cortisol
• Increase in heart rate
• Stronger contractions of
the heart muscle
• Blood vessels to the large
muscles and the heart
dilate, increasing the
amount of blood pumped
to vital organs

9. STRESS RESPONSE
• These hormones cause :
– the heart to beat faster
– respiration rate to increase
– blood vessels in the arms and legs to dilate
– digestive process to change
– glucose levels (sugar energy) in the bloodstream to increase
• ANS response fairly sudden in order to prepare the body to respond to an
emergency situation or acute stress
• Once crisis is over, body returns to the pre-emergency, unstressed state
• Chronic stress, experiencing stressors over a prolonged period of time, can
result in a long-term drain on the body.
• SNS continues to trigger physical reactions- wear-and-tear on the body.
• It's not so much what chronic stress does to the nervous system, but what
continuous activation of the nervous system does to other bodily systems
that become problematic

10. CHRONIC STRESS
Repeated acute stress and persistent chronic stress leads to:
• Long-term problems for heart and blood vessels
• May contribute to inflammation in the circulatory system, particularly in
the coronary arteries
• One pathway that may increase heart attacks
• Can affect cholesterol levels
• Consistent increase in heart rate, stress hormones and of blood
pressure Increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke
• Pre-menopausal women –
• estrogen levels help blood vessels respond better during stress,
• helping bodies handle stress better
• protecting them against heart disease.
• Postmenopausal women lose this level of protection due to loss of
estrogen, therefore putting them at greater risk for the effects of stress
on heart disease.

11. ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
• The Brain-
• The Hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland
• process is started to produce epinephrine and cortisol, the "stress
hormones“
• Signals the ANS
• Adrenal Glands (near kidneys)
– Produces cortisol and epinephrine
– starts the process that gives your body the energy to run from danger.
• Liver
• the liver produces more glucose,
• If body doesn't use all of that extra energy, it is able to reabsorb the blood
sugar, even if you're stressed again and again.
• People vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes — that extra blood sugar can lead to
diabetes

12. DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Eating much more or much less than usual
• Esophagus
– Eating more or different foods
– increased ingestion of alcohol or tobacco,
– - heartburn or acid reflux.
– Stress or exhaustion increase the severity of heartburn
• Stomach
– Brain becomes more alert to sensations in the stomach.
– “Butterflies" , nausea or colicky pain
– Vomiting
– Ulcers or severe stomach pain even without ulcers
• Bowel
– Stress can affect digestion, and the nutrients absorbed
– Affect how fast food moves through the intestines
– diarrhea or constipation
– IBS worsened

13. MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
• The parasympathetic part of the nervous system causes relaxation
whereas the sympathetic part causes arousal.
• The ANS produces testosterone
• Excess amounts of cortisol affects the normal biochemical
functioning of the male reproductive system
• Chronic stress can:
– Decrease testosterone production
– sperm production and maturation
– decreased libido
– erectile dysfunction or impotence
– infections (due to lowered immunity) of the testes, prostate gland and
urethra, can affect normal male reproductive functioning

14. FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
• Menstruation
– absent or irregular menstrual cycles
– more painful periods and
– changes in the length of cycles
• Decreased libido
• Decreased fertility and problems during pregnancy
• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
– symptoms may be worsened or more difficult to cope
– Include cramping, fluid retention and bloating, negative mood
(feeling irritable and "blue") and mood swings
• Menopause
– hormone levels fluctuate rapidly.
– anxiety, mood swings and feelings of distress
– hot flushes, increased number and/or more severe or intense

15. RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• Breathing made faster in an effort to quickly distribute
oxygen-rich blood
• In pre-exisiting asthma or emphysema - may be even
more difficult to breathe
• Rapid breathing — or hyperventilation —can bring on a
panic attack in people who are prone

16. CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
• The heart also pumps faster
• Blood vessels in less important areas constrict
and divert more oxygen to the muscles, brain
and vital organs
• Raises blood pressure
• frequent or chronic stress -heart works too
hard for too long
• When blood pressure rises, risks for having
a stroke or heart attack also increase

17. CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
• Chronic Stress is linked to:
• high blood pressure
• abnormal heartbeats
(arrhythmia)
• Increased coagulability of blood
• Dyslipidemia
• Hardening of the arteries (
Atherosclerosis)
• Coronary artery disease
• Increased risk of
– Heart attack
– Heart failure
– Stroke
– DM
– Obesity

18. MUSCULAR SYSTEM
• Muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury
• They tend to release again once stress is gone
• Chronic stress- muscles may not get the chance to relax
• This causes aches and pains:
– headache
– back and shoulder pain
– body aches
• Over time, this can set off an unhealthy cycle as you stop
exercising
• Stress may make RA worse.

19. IMMUNE SYSTEM
• Acute stress stimulates the immune system
• Helpful for immediate situations
• can help you avoid infections and heal wounds
• Chronic stress weakens the immune system
• Reduce the body’s response to foreign invaders
• Increased susceptibility to viral illnesses like the flu,
common cold, other infections- even cancer
• Increases the time taken to recover from illness or injury

20. THE SKIN
Chronic stress can worsen
• Allergies
• Acne
• Eczema
• Psoriasis

21. PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
• Aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea, dizziness
• Chest pain, rapid heart rate
• Loss of sex drive
• Frequent colds or flu

22. BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS
• Eating more or less
• Angry outbursts
• Feeling jumpy or tired or irritable
• Loss of concentration
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Withdrawing from others
• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

23. COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS
• Memory problems
• Inability to concentrate
• Poor judgment
• Seeing only the negative
• Anxious or racing thoughts
• Constant worrying

24. EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS
• Depression or general
unhappiness
• Anxiety and agitation
• Moodiness, irritability, or
anger
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Loneliness and isolation
• Procrastination
• Social withdrawl

25. EFFECT OF STRESS ON LIFE
Depends on many
factors:
– Personality
– Upbringing
– Personal coping skills
– Social support

26. STRESS IN THE FORCES

27. STRESS IN THE FORCES
• Prolonged active
deployment
• Leave
• Family issues
• Lack of Regimentation
• Lack of Social
interaction
• Too many adm duties
• Lack of hosuing and
infrastructure

29. TIME MANAGEMENT
• Practise time management techniques
• Prioritize- do first things first
• Do less time consuming things first
• Delegate
• Avoid chatting in office
• Make lists, keep a diary
• Meetings- written agenda, stick to timings

30. STRESS MANAGEMENT
• Learn to say ‘NO’
• Avoid ‘Energy vampires’

31. MANAGEMENT
• Exercise
– enzyme released- helps to combat kynurenine, which is produced
by stress
• Get enough sleep
• Sleep hygiene and routine
• Meditate-
– increases dopamine that elevate mood and lowers blood pressure
• Carry out repetitive chores
– brings on a state that is similar to mindfulness -calms down the
mind and body. Knitting, cooking a familiar dish, ironing
• Connect with nature
• Help others

32. STRESS MANAGEMENT
• Listen to music
• Learn relaxation techniques
• Try breathing strategies
– effectively reduce muscle tension,
– decrease stress-related disorders, such as headache
– increase sense of well-being

33. KAI- ZEN
• Don’t compare with the neighbours.
• Be better than you were yesterday
‘The problem with the rat race is that even if you
win, you are still a rat!

34. THANK YOU!