Stress Affects the Entire Body
Stress is something that everyone experiences, but not everyone experiences the same kind of stress or reacts to it the same way. The human body is naturally designed to react to stress in a certain way. Consider these reactions warning signs. If you can learn to recognize the signs, you can nip those situations in the bud, engage in stress-relieving activities and reduce the effects of long-term stress on your body.
Stress affects every organ and system of the body. Most people are aware how stress affects the heart because it is the first thing we feel when faced with a stressful situation - often described as the hammering against the inside of your rib cage.
Stress is also associated with an increase in blood pressure, which can damage blood vessels and the heart over a long period of time.
Less acknowledged is the effect of stress on the lungs, and the role of lungs in increasing blood pressure and powering the body to deal with the stress.
How the Lungs React
There are two types of stress: acute and chronic.
Acute stress is the body's reaction to a sudden, immediate, life-threatening event. This is the kind of situation that brings out the body's "fight or flight" response. Basically, the body prepares itself for an emergency.
The lungs take in more oxygen and send it to the rest of the body through the increased heart rate. It is estimated that a person's blood flow increases by 300 to 400 percent in these types of situations. Along with oxygen, more red and white blood cells are carried throughout the body (carrying the increased amounts of oxygen).
The brain naturally suppresses short-term memory, concentration, sensitivity, and the ability to think logically so a person can respond quickly to the impending crisis. The brain also releases a protein (Neuropeptide S), which interferes with sleep and actually works to keep a person alert. These situations are stored in the long-term memory for future reference.
Properly functioning lungs mean that the body's systems will have the necessary resources and energy to respond to stressful situations.
If a person's lungs are compromised by conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, then their ability to react, respond, and successfully navigate such stressful situations will be compromised.
Chronic stress is ongoing stress usually related to outside influences that aren't immediately life-threatening. This would be the kind of stress associated with going to school or work, job interviews, public speaking, or living in a stressful home situation.
Easy Breathing Techniques to Manage Stress
One of the most common symptoms of stress or anxiety is shortness of breath. Fortunately, this is one symptoms that you can control, reduce, and prevent. Shortness can mean accelerated breathing, hyperventilating, or a full blow panic attack. It also means that you're restricting the amount of air your lungs can take in.
In those situations where shortness of breath is exacerbated by an underlying lung condition, treatment should be initiated in keeping with those conditions, but usually deep breathing and breathing through pursed lips can help bring your body back under control.
Deep breathing means breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. The breathing in this technique is similar to what musicians and vocalists use. As you breathe in, keeping your shoulders square (do not raise them as you breathe in) send the intake of air down to your belly. Many people forget that the diaphragm is integral to breathing and never get beyond the shallow breathing through their lungs. Breathing diaphragmatically naturally relaxes you.
To test if you're breathing deeply, place your hand just below your rib cage and inhale. You should feel your belly get rounder. The body naturally breathes diaphragmatically when you lie down on your back, so another option is to find a place to lie down and just breathe.
When you breathe out, try to regulate how quickly the air comes out by pursing your lips - such as what you do to blow out a candle.
This simple exercise can help you reduce stress and reduce the overall wear-and-tear stress induces on your body. It is also important to eat as balanced a diet as possible, and to schedule "down time" and activities that help burn off energy and anxiety.
Sources: anxietyconnection.com; www.stress.org; www.webmd.com; www.stressinstitute.com; www.womenshealthchannel.com