Map Your Stress Points For some of us, excess stress shows up as sore joints, for others, it causes infertility, heart disease, excess weight or low energy. We can help you understand how -- and where -- stress is hurting you AND what you can do about it. Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine can help you identify your stress points, help you overcome its effects and build protection.   CALL FOR FREE A CONSULTATION 800/901-0656 AND STOP STRESS BEFORE IT HURTS YOU “Constant Stress can cause perma- nent damage by attacking each of us at our particular weak points. It can make us more susceptible to bothersome ill- nesses, like the common cold, and potentially fatal ones, like cancer. Many researchers believe that 80% of all diseases are linked to or aggravated by chronic stress. The good news is that we can do something to repair the damage and eliminate the problems caused by stress. Call me today and I will personally speak with you to explain how our Healthy Living Programs can help you.” Amanda Howell

HOW STRESS AFFECTS YOUR BODY It takes only a fraction of a second for stress, whether it’s thinking about work or a loud noise, to set off a chain reaction that affects everything from our eyesight to the muscles in our legs. The response begins in the brain, where the hypothalamus releases a fight-or-flight chemical called Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH). CRH travels to our pituitary gland, that secretes Adrenocorticotropin Hormone (ACTH), which travels to the adrenal glands on top of our kidneys. The result is adrenaline, a powerful stimulant. In an instant the above changes, and many others, take place.

Brain
Stress begins in the brain, with a surge of hormones causing intense alertness. In this hyped state, we can’t relax or sleep. But our mind can’t function at this extreme level for prolonged periods: Eventually, the hormone surges and exhaustion cause tension headaches, irritability, aggression, inability to concentrate and memory loss.

Unchecked stress can also trigger depression, which strikes twice as many women as men. Stress suppresses the hypothalamus, the emotion control center in our brains, curbing the production of hormones that energize us and make us feel joyful.

Ears
The surging hormones induced by stress improve our hearing to help us react to danger. But better hearing can actually be bad for the body: A recent Cornell University study concluded that even moderate noise elevates heart-damaging stress hormones. Studies have also shown that a lot of small noisy stressors added together -- honking horns, ringing telephones and loud workplaces -- can be more dangerous to the body than one major stressful event.

Lungs
One of the first things we do when we feel stressed is hyperventilate. It is part of the body’s fight-or-flight response -- in case we’re in danger and need the extra oxygen in our bloodstream to run for cover or fight for our lives. Those quick breaths can cause dizziness and sharp pains in the diaphragm. Severe stress can aggravate asthma and other dangerous respiratory conditions.

Eyes
The adrenaline rush from stress dilates the eyes, improving vision. But it also triggers eye ticks because eye muscles become fatigued. Eyes may bulge if stress overstimulates the thyroid gland.

Mouth
Dry mouth, bad breath and difficulty swallowing occur when stress makes us take short, shallow breaths. Under constant stress, some people clench their jaws or grind their teeth.

Hair
Considered a barometer of inner health, hair is often the first to suffer. A body under stress burns nutrients, like the mineral selenium, and that can lead to dull hair and premature graying. Chronic stress can trigger the autoimmune system to attack hair follicles, causing hair to fall out completely or in clumps.

Heart
A heart under stress pumps fast and hard. Blood pressure rises as the body produces the hormones epinephrine and cortisol. That can lead to heart palpitations and chest pains. In those with heart dis- ease, stress can prevent blood from clotting properly and stimulate the formation of plaque that blocks arteries. Researchers say that even thinking about something stressful raises blood pressure. A Swedish study concluded that stressful romantic relationships were more damaging to a woman’s heart than work-related stress: women in troubled marriages were three times more likely to be hospitalized for heart problems.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
How many times have you gotten sick after a stressful event? Extreme and constant stress lowers our white blood cell count, making us more susceptible to disease and hampering our body’s ability to heal itself. One recent study showed that the pneumonia vaccine was less effective in people under constant stress. Meanwhile, researchers are study- ing the link between stress and autoimmune disorders such as Graves Disease, in which antibodies attack the thyroid, eye muscles and skin.

JOINTS, MUSCLES, & BONES:
At tense moments, our brain sends messages to the muscles, tightening them and pre-paring them for action. Chronic stress can aggravate rheumatoid arthritis, cause sore muscles and make us prone to sprains. Women who suffered chronic stress had lower bone density, according to a 1996 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
Stress can halt menstruation, inhibit ovulation and cause premature birth and loss of libido. Doctors speculate stress-related infertility is the body’s way of keeping us from becom- ing pregnant and giving birth under danger- ous conditions. A University of California study showed that the stress hormones released by a pregnant woman can make her baby more prone to stress and the accompanying risk of heart attack. Stress may also contribute to the inability to achieve orgasm and may cause painful sex and premenstrual syndrome.

SKIN:
Stress causes hormones to be released that make acne, rashes and itchy pacthes worse. Some people blush, while others go pale when the small blood cells in the skin contract. Under extreme stress, people can become covered in hives. “Any skin problem will get worse when you are stressed,” says Jim Baral, M.D., a dermatologist at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:
Under stress, the brain shifts blood flow away from the digestive tract, which slows digestion. The result is indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, incontinence and colon spasms. Stress increases acid production, aggravating ulcers. It is also linked to Colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, painful and sometimes debilitating digestive disorders. “Stress can be linked to digestive problems, so we routinely question patients about their life when taking a history of their symptoms,” says Tarun Mullick, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio.