Is stress making you ill?

2 mins to read

Naturopath Jodi Van Dyk looks at the role that stress can play in our immune system and offers some tips to help stay free of worry.

Stress relief & sleep support

Stress can be caused by many factors including work, family, relationships and finances, and it can have a severe impact on our health and life.

Those who have suffered from stress may already be familiar with common signs like increased blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.

Stress can impact the health of many body systems, and in the long term it can be detrimental to the immune system.

Stress defined

Hans Selye, an Austrian/Hungarian endocrinologist, was the first person to describe the stress response.

Selye’s definition of stress is ‘a nonspecific response of the body to any demand on it’. He called this response the general adaptation syndrome and described it as having three distinct phases: alarm, resistance and exhaustion.

The alarm response is our initial response to stress and is also known as the flight or fight response. This phase is generally short-lived.

The resistance phase enables our body to combat a stressor (something that causes stress) for longer periods of time.

In this phase, the body begins to produce hormones that are involved in the long term stress response. If the second phase is prolonged, the risk for disease development increases and we enter the exhaustion phase.

In the exhaustion phase, the resources of the body are depleted and the body can completely break down. The exhaustion phase is characterised by the suppression of the immune system

The impact of stress on the immune system

Studies have shown that short term stress can actually increase the function of the immune system for several minutes. If we experience stress for longer periods, and the body enters the resistance phase for a long period or enters the exhaustion phase, the function of our immune system can suffer.

Hormones released during long-term stress are known to disrupt the immune system by removing immune cells from the circulation and in some cases even destroying them.

During these phases it is thought that the high level of hormone production actually suppresses the immune response.

If we suffer from stress for long enough, we can expect to have a poorly functioning immune system, and studies have shown that people with burnout report a higher incidence of cold and flu-like symptoms.

Support your body in times of stress

B vitamins – Vitamin B5 is an essential vitamin for adrenal function, and the adrenal glands play a regulatory roll in the body when it is under stress. Vitamin B5 is used in combination with other B vitamins as a support in times of stress.

Vitamin C has been loosely linked to modulating stress hormones in times of high stress. Vitamin C is also an important stimulant of the immune system.

Panax Ginseng is an herb that has traditionally been used in times of stress. It is thought to work on the adrenal glands and support the bodies coping mechanisms.

Lifestyle changes you can make to reduce stress

Take a deep breath – focused deep breathing can calm and relax.
Practice meditation – a quick 5 minute meditation can have a great impact on lowering your stress levels.
Exercise – exercise releases endorphins which are feel good chemicals for the body. Exercise also uses up all the hormones that are produced when we feel stressed, creating calm.
Eat right – proper nutrition can ensure you are getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals to not only support stress but also healthy life.
Indulge in a massage.

References available on request