Stress is an almost omnipresent talking point these days. Stress is the sum of all internal and external influences and our ability to respond to them. This means that stress encapsulates not only the trigger, but the entire physical reaction to stress. The trigger, also called stressor, is often not able to be controlled, but we can influence our reaction.
Stress- What do we even mean?
Stress as a word is often misused. “I’m stressed” is supposed to express an overload, but this statement does not take into account the original definition developed by Hans Selye, the “father of stress research”. According to Selye, hormones of the adrenal gland are released at the beginning of the load as an expression of the general mobilization of the immuno defense forces in the body (alarm phase).
Now, we know that stress not only leads to the release of classical stress hormones such as cortisone and adrenaline, but also to complex reactions in our entire body.
Phases of regeneration are essential to being able to process phases of high performance.
The Balance between Tension and Relaxation
Our goal should be to take therapeutically effective measures to prevent or counteract stress processes. It is important to find the rhythmic balance between tension and relaxation. There should be a period of recovery after each phase of the effort. During this deliberately selected pause regeneration takes place and reserves of energy can be collected. As long as these rest phases are observed in relation to the phases of, exhaustion, stress or worse can be avoided.
One should therefore not wait until exhaustion occurs, but pay attention to the necessities of the body. Burnout is not the only known reaction to overload; metabolic diseases, pain of the musculoskeletal system, or premature menopause symptoms in women can also occur.
In order to be able to guarantee a normal regulation of stress, there are different systems in our body that act in an interlocking manner, simultaneously, and naturally supportive. Nutrition plays a major role here: vitamins, minerals and trace elements are just as important as the good level of fatty acids. Magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants such as saffron, vitamin C or green tea extract are obvious supporters in a stressful lifestyle.
Constantly overtaxing our capacity to regulate will inevitable lead to exhaustion.
The acid-base balance is another system of stress regulation. Ultimately, however, an overload always manifests in the following three organ systems:
1. Stomach
The regulation of the acid-base balance plays an important role here. Issues caused by stress can range from gastritis to peptic ulcer. As a consequence, the stress in the digestive system continues, which can lead, for example, to the development of chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases.
2. Lymph System
The lymphatic system permeates our entire body and plays a decisive role in the fight of the immune system against pathogens and foreign bodies in close connection with the blood circulation. Long-term stress can cause the lymph glands to shrink, among other things. If this system is restricted in its function by stress, the result can be a higher susceptibility to infections such as colds, fever blisters, or chronic sinusitis. Above all, the increase in allergies and intolerances is thus brought into a new light in parallel with the increasing stress in our lives.
3. Adrenal System
The adrenal gland is representative of the entire hormonal system. The release of adrenal hormones and the activation of receptors for hormones such as adrenaline lead to the activation of the known defense forces in the body. In doing so, we regulate in the direction of an expected challenge. This applies not only to acute life-threatening situations, but also to the normal physiological increase of cortisol in the morning to meet the challenges of the day.
Realizing in time that our regulative capacity is spent allows us to stop exhaustion in its early stages.
We can observe that the enormous increase in food intolerances, hyperacidity and hormonal disorders are an expression of a continuously increasing, permanent stress situation and in many cases also an expression of exhaustion and excessive strain on our regulation. The body simply tries to constantly regulate in the direction of a challenge, and at some point no longer can continue and slips into exhaustion.
It is particularly important to recognize the early signs that indicate a risk of exhaustion. This is a domain of orthomolecular medicine. Through appropriate diagnostics, typical patterns of a regulatory disorder can be identified at an early stage and we can take countermeasures before we reach exhaustion with all its accompanying symptoms.
