In today’s society many women have increased their activities to the point where many are exhausted and chronically stressed, causing serious immune system dysfunction. It is not uncommon to find women responding to their home, children, overtime at work, finances, volunteering, and husbands. With so many responsibilities is it any wonder that risk factors for contracting many common illnesses are escalating, especially for women?
Chronic Stress in Dangerous
Chronic stress is so negative that it can promote or exacerbate most diseases. Countless studies have linked our ability to deal with stress to our susceptibility to the common cold and more serious diseases such as cancer.
Stressful situations, such as death of a loved one, divorce, substance abuse in the immediate family or miserable jobs can promote the release of cortisol, our stress hormone, which in turn can cause destructive immune factors to be released. Abnormal levels of these cortisols are associated with autoimmune conditions, inflammatory diseases and allergic conditions.
Consequences of Too Much Stress on the Body
Calcium can be lost at advanced rates from the bones into the blood. Stress can cause you to be in a negative calcium situation even if you are taking calcium supplements.
When cortisol counts go up, DHEA counts go down. DHEA is the immune and anti-aging hormone which helps repair and maintain tissues, reduce atherosclerosis, increase insulin production and balance, control allergic reactions and, most importantly, balance the immune system. Low levels of DHEA cause sexual dysfunction, muscular shrinkage, memory loss, degenerative disease and poor immune function.
How to Reduce Stress
Would it not be wise to take a little time for ourselves so that we can reduce our stress? Why become a burden to others unnecessarily? If we become ill, who will care for us? It is not selfish to take care of yourself, it is important to do so.
How do we get to the root of the problem? If we repair the immune abnormality, the blood will heal itself and disease will often disappear. Touch therapies such as massage or reflexology are excellent approaches to relaxing the muscles of the body which in turn relaxes the circulatory system and soothes the nervous system.
So, slow down, take care of yourself and remember to eat healthy food. Ensure good nutrition by taking a daily multivitamin and be sure that it includes high levels of B complex. Learn some relaxation techniques that suite your lifestyle and personality. You’ll look better, feel better, and be better able to do all the things that life demands we do for ourselves and others.
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