Fix Chronic Stress Symptoms: Danger, Diagnosis, and Women

Chronic stress refers to a prolonged state of heightened stress response that persists over an extended period, often weeks, months, or even years. Unlike acute stress, which is a temporary reaction to an immediate challenge or situation and then goes away, chronic stress results from ongoing or recurring stressors that a person perceives as challenging or difficult to manage. Chronic stress symptoms can be physical such as headaches, mental such as difficulty concentrating, or a combination of both. While specific numbers may vary, it’s widely recognized that chronic stress affects a significant portion of the global population, highlighting the importance of effective stress management on a global scale. The benefits of meditation for stress are widely known and many people meditate or have tried meditation for stress management.

Why is Chronic Stress Dangerous

To fully understand why chronic stress is dangerous, we will first discuss the impact of stress on the mind and body. Stress is a natural physiological response that occurs when the body perceives a threat, whether physical, emotional, or psychological. It triggers the body’s “fight or flight” response, which is coordinated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is automatic and operates without conscious control. It regulates involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and respiratory rate so there is no need for any conscious effort. The ANS consists of two main branches:

1. Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): The SNS is responsible for the body’s “fight or flight” response, which prepares the body to respond to stress or danger. It increases heart rate, opens airways, redirects blood flow to muscles, and releases stress hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline.
2. Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): The PNS is responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” response, which promotes relaxation, digestion, and recovery after stress. It slows heart rate, closes airways, increases digestive activity, and conserves energy.

These two branches of the autonomic nervous system work in tandem to maintain homeostasis, the body’s internal balance. For example, during a startling situation, the sympathetic nervous system activates and prepares the body for action (jump when hearing a loud noise). After the stressor passes, the body should relax and regain internal balance. However, if you remain stressed after this acute stress response, due to a stressful job or relationship, then you begin to experience what is referred to as chronic stress.

Chronic stress poses significant dangers to both mental and physical well-being. Emotional stress symptoms may include persistent anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. On the physical side, symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and digestive issues can manifest, highlighting the comprehensive impact of chronic stress.

How Is Chronic Stress Diagnosed

Stress is typically diagnosed based on a combination of self-reported symptoms, medical history, and assessment by healthcare professionals. There is no specific medical test to diagnose chronic stress, so there are many factors to consider when diagnosing chronic stress:

• Medical History: Any past or current medical conditions, medications, lifestyle factors, and significant life events that may contribute to stress.
• Symptoms Assessment: Common physical symptoms of stress include headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, changes in appetite or weight, and sleep disturbances. Psychological symptoms may include anxiety, irritability, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and feelings of overwhelm or burnout.
• Duration: Chronic stress refers to persistent stress over an extended period, typically weeks, months, or even years. Acute stress is short-term and usually resolves once the stressor is removed.
• Functional Impairment: How stress affects an individual’s daily functioning, work performance, relationships, and overall quality of life. Functional impairment due to stress can indicate the need for intervention and support.
• Psychological Assessments: There are standardized psychological assessments and questionnaires to evaluate stress levels and associated symptoms. These assessments can help quantify stress levels and track changes over time.
• Physical Examinations: A physical examination may be conducted to rule out underlying medical conditions that could contribute to stress symptoms or to assess the impact of stress on physical health.

What Can Stress Do to a Woman’s Body

We discussed how short and long-term stress affects the body and mind. Certain effects may be more pronounced or unique to women due to biological factors such as:

• Hormonal Changes: Women’s hormonal fluctuations, such as those during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum period, and menopause, can interact with stress responses. For example, stress can affect menstrual cycle timing, exacerbate premenstrual symptoms, and contribute to irregularities in hormone levels.
• Reproductive Health: Chronic stress can impact reproductive health in women by affecting menstrual regularity, fertility, and libido. Stress-related hormonal changes may contribute to conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menstrual disorders, and disruptions in ovulation.
• Pregnancy and Postpartum: Stress during pregnancy can have implications for both the mother and the developing fetus. High levels of stress hormones like cortisol may increase the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and affect maternal well-being. Postpartum stress can also impact maternal mental health, breastfeeding, and the mother-infant bond.
• Menopause Transition: Menopausal women may experience increased stress due to hormonal changes and associated symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.
• Immune Function: Stress-related immune changes can contribute to increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory conditions in women.
• Mental Health: While stress can affect mental health in both genders, women are more likely to experience conditions like anxiety disorders and depression, which can be exacerbated by stress. Hormonal fluctuations, societal expectations, and life transitions may contribute to these differences.
• Heart Health: Chronic stress can impact cardiovascular health differently in women, potentially increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and hypertension. Stress-related changes in blood pressure, heart rate variability, and inflammation may play roles in these cardiovascular effects.

How to Treat Chronic Stress and Anxiety

Chronic stress and anxiety can be challenging to treat but it’s not impossible. It’s important to understand that chronic stress and anxiety can have multiple underlying causes, so identifying and addressing all contributing factors (social, environmental, biological, psychological) may be complex. Prolonged stress and anxiety can lead to changes in the brain, such as changes in brain structure and function and dysregulation of the stress response system. These changes can contribute to the persistence of symptoms.

Effective treatment for chronic stress and anxiety is possible with a comprehensive and holistic approach that addresses all underlying contributing factors. Incorporating healthy habits, lifestyle modifications, social support, and NuCalm can help.

You will achieve autonomic nervous system balance after a Rescue journey, since NuCalm has the only patent in the world for, “systems and methods for balancing and maintaining the health of the human autonomic nervous system” (U.S. Patent Registration No.: 9,079,030; Issued July, 14, 2015). A balanced autonomic nervous system (ANS) is crucial for overall health because it regulates and maintains the body’s essential functions, provides an appropriate stress response to your environment, promotes cardiovascular health, supports healthy digestion, maintains the immune system, plays a role in regulating sleep-wake cycles, and fosters emotional resilience. Similar to any healthy habit, it must be regularly incorporated into your lifestyle for consistent results. Rely on Rescue for regular stress relief and build more stress resiliency with cumulative use.

What to Do When Stress Becomes Unbearable

It can be challenging to calm down during a high-stress moment due to the physiological, psychological, and cognitive processes that occur in response to stress. Here are some reasons why calming down can be difficult in such situations:

1. Sympathetic Nervous System Activation: During high-stress moments, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated, leading to the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This triggers the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and alertness while diverting resources away from relaxation functions.
2. Heightened Emotional State: Stressful situations often elicit strong emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, or frustration. These emotions can be overwhelming and may interfere with the ability to think clearly, make rational decisions, or engage in calming behaviors.
3. Cognitive Impairment: Stress can impair cognitive function, particularly executive functions like problem-solving, decision-making, and impulse control. This cognitive impairment can make it challenging to process information, consider alternative perspectives, or implement coping strategies effectively.
4. Physical Symptoms: Stress can manifest in physical symptoms such as rapid breathing, muscle tension, sweating, trembling, or gastrointestinal discomfort. These physical sensations can contribute to feelings of discomfort, agitation, and a sense of being out of control.
5. Negative Thought Patterns: High-stress moments may trigger negative thought patterns, rumination, catastrophic thinking, or cognitive distortions. These cognitive processes can exacerbate feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, making it harder to calm down.
6. Time Pressure: In some situations, there may be time pressure or urgency, adding to the sense of stress and making it challenging to pause, reflect, and engage in relaxation techniques.
7. Environmental Factors: The environment in which the stress occurs can influence the ability to calm down. Loud noises, crowded spaces, chaotic surroundings, or lack of privacy can hinder relaxation efforts.

You can take a step toward calmness by taking a deep breath. Deep breathing triggers the body’s relaxation response, which is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. This response counteracts the stress response driven by the sympathetic nervous system. In a NuCalm Rescue journey, your breathing is slowed to one breath every ten seconds. Rescue brings you into a meditative state where diaphragmatic breathing takes over. Your blood vessels relax and blood pressure decreases; digestion and restoration occur.

How Long Does Chronic Stress Last

The duration of chronic stress varies widely among individuals. Factors such as resilience, support systems, and effective stress management efforts influence the recovery time. Ideally, the stressor will be removed, minimized, or managed more effectively. Many NuCalmers, with regular Rescue use, have found stress relief and regained balance from PTSD, TBIs, sleep issues, anxiety disorders, chronic pain and illness, and sympathetic nervous system dominance.

How to Treat Chronic Stress Naturally

Natural approaches to managing chronic stress include incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine such as regular exercise, a nutritious diet, getting enough good sleep, engaging with your support network, and managing stress effectively. NuCalm Rescue mimics your body’s process for winding down and preparing for sleep. Your body experiences a natural slowdown every time you go to sleep. This process is natural when you are in the comfort of your own home and feel safe and confident in your environment. The power of NuCalm Rescue is that it can produce this same physiological experience in any environment at any time of the day. Rescue turns off the stress response, pivots you out of hyper-vigilance, and suspends you in deep relaxation.

What Are the Physical Illnesses Caused by Stress

Stress can cause, contribute to, or worsen various physical illnesses due to its impact on the body’s physiological systems:

1. Cardiovascular Disorders: Chronic stress is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension (high blood pressure), atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), coronary artery disease, and heart attacks. Stress can contribute to elevated blood pressure, decreased heart rate variability, inflammation, and changes in blood clotting mechanisms, all of which can strain the cardiovascular system over time.
2. Digestive Issues: Stress can affect digestive health, leading to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), acid reflux, gastritis, ulcers, and inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g., Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis). Stress-related changes in gut motility, intestinal permeability, and gut microbiota composition can contribute to digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.
3. Immune System Dysfunction: Chronic stress can suppress immune function, making individuals more susceptible to infections, colds, flu, and other illnesses. Prolonged stress can impair the immune response by reducing the production of immune cells (e.g., lymphocytes) and increasing inflammation, potentially leading to chronic inflammatory conditions and autoimmune disorders.
4. Musculoskeletal Disorders: Stress-related muscle tension, stiffness, and pain can contribute to musculoskeletal disorders such as tension headaches, migraines, neck pain, back pain, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, and fibromyalgia.
5. Respiratory Problems: Stress can impact respiratory health, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath, chest tightness, and exacerbation of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
6. Sleep Disorders: Chronic stress can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and parasomnias. Stress-related factors like racing thoughts, anxiety, hyperarousal, and hormonal changes can interfere with sleep quality and duration, leading to fatigue and daytime drowsiness.
7. Skin Conditions: Stress-related hormonal changes, immune system dysregulation, and inflammatory responses can manifest as skin inflammation, itching, redness, or flare-ups of existing skin disorders, eczema, psoriasis, acne, hives, or allergic reactions.

Chronic stress has been shown to help cause, contribute to, or worsen various physical and behavioral illnesses. Stop short-term stress and start building stress resilience, boosting your immune system, sleeping better, and feeling better with NuCalm Rescue. Sign up for the NuCalm 7-day free trial now!