Stress and the Body

by Ted Hamilton M.D

Dr. Robert Elliot, a noted heart specialist, has studied the physiological effects of stress. He identifies two types of people, "hot reactors"and "cold reactors," based on the way the body responds to artificially induced stress. He states unequivocally that one cannot remain in a hot reactor indefinitely without suffering unwanted consequences.

He should know. Dr. Elliot experienced a heart attack at the age of 44. He was then chairman of the Department of Cardiology at the University of Nebraska, working energetically, even frantically, to achieve his goals and establish a national reputation. Administrative delays and detours only caused him to push harder, but not without frustration, aggravation, anger, and fatigue. At the end of a particular difficult day, while lecturing on how to prevent heart attacks, he experienced the chest pain of his own heart attack.

Upon recovering, Dr. Elliot began serious investigation into the effects of stress on the body. He learned that stress initiates the flow of powerful biochemical substances, including epinephrine, cortisone, and cholesterol, into the bloodstream. The nerves and blood vessels of the body respond to this potent concoction by preparing the body for battle-the heart rate goes up, while the pressure against which the heart must work (peripheral resistance) increases as well. It's not unlike placing a clamp on the garden hose, then turning on the water full force. Sooner or later the weakest point in the hose will pop.

When the "hose pops," some organ or system of the body has simply lost the ability to recover spontaneously, and illness is the result. Dr. Elliot and the young woman from the emergency room have a lot of company. An estimated three fourths of all visits to family physicians are related in some way to stress.

The symptoms of stress-induces illness may suggest disease in any part of the body. And patients often express multisymptoms, including various combination of the following: nervousness, sweating, trembling, fatigue, faintness, indigestion, headache, neck pain, back pain, shortness of breath, and chest pain. These symptoms may reflect real disease. A heart attack is a real, life-threatening disease. And indigestion may represent peptic ulcers, very real sores in the stomach and duodenum.

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