Surprising ways stress affects your whole body

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How does stress affect the body?

Drs. Samadi and Siegel weigh in

You’ve heard the old adage before: “Manage your stress or your stress will manage you.”

As it turns out, there is more truth behind this saying than you might realize.  Perhaps the most shocking fact about stress is that it can affect all parts of your body, not just in one area.

Stress can originate from anywhere and is your body’s reaction to situations that can be perceived as potentially dangerous.

Our body responds to stress by altering the secretions of certain hormones and chemicals.  A majority of these secretions originate from the adrenal gland, a small gland that is situated on top of the kidneys and releases hormones that control the “fight-or-flight” response, maintain metabolic processes, like blood sugar levels, regulate the balance between salt and water, maintain pregnancy and initiate and control sexual maturation.  In moderation, these hormones can help save your life, but for prolonged periods of time, they can have seriously damaging effects.

Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, inhibits functions that are a detriment to the “fight-or-flight” response.  Specifically, it alters the immune system response and suppresses the digestive tract, reproductive system and growth processes.

As you can imagine, altering the immune system can leave you more susceptible to illness and suppressing the digestive tract can leave you feeling constipated and ill.  Cortisol also increases the levels of glucose in your blood and enhances the brain’s use of glucose, which can leave you craving unhealthy, fatty carbohydrates.

In combination, these effects can lead to heart disease, sleep problems, digestive problems, depression, obesity, memory impairment and worsening of skin problems.  Studies have shown that high levels of cortisol are associated with an increase in risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Another stress hormone is adrenaline, which is chiefly associated with the “fight-or-flight” response.  After your body internalizes a perceived threat, adrenaline is released into the bloodstream, resulting in an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and energy supplies.  In an attempt to supply your muscles and brain with blood, adrenaline also cuts off the blood supply to the skin.

For prolonged periods of time, this can manifest as hair loss or acne, and because of its relaxing effect on smooth muscles, adrenaline allows you to breathe more intensely.

Aldosterone and the sex hormones, to a lesser extent, are also affected by stress.  Aldosterone stimulates water and salt reabsorption by the kidneys, which, in excess, can result in increased blood pressure and edema.  Stress hormones can inhibit the release of sex hormones, which results in a reduction in sperm count, ovulation and sexual desire.

In women, stress leads to a decrease in estrogen and progesterone production and an increase in cortisol levels.  This combination often results in irregular, painful menstrual cycles and can negatively impact emotions and sex drive.

In men, stress causes a decrease in testosterone and an increase in cortisol, resulting in fatigue and a diminished sex drive.

So, what should you do if the stresses you face cannot be eliminated completely?

Try to minimize them whenever possible.  At work, know when to say “no” to new projects or responsibilities, and by the same token, know when to delegate responsibilities to others.

Take a break every hour, especially when doing intense tasks.  Utilize the time you’re given for lunch.  Don’t be afraid to take a day (or a half-day) for yourself every so often.

As far as lifestyle remedies go, exercise!  Exercise is the best way to reduce stress and cortisol levels.

Refrain from answering your emails and phones when it’s not an emergency.  Taking vacations, going for spa treatments or practicing relaxation techniques can also help you.  Consuming a healthy diet and refraining from smoking, drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs are also key measures you can take to help reduce stress.

But as always, talk to your doctor if you feel your stress is adversely affecting your health and life; perhaps he or she can suggest other solutions based on your medical history.

Dr. David B. Samadi is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He is a board-certified urologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of urological disease, with a focus on robotic prostate cancer treatments. To learn more please visit his websites RoboticOncology.com and SMART-surgery.com. Find Dr. Samadi on Facebook.