Stress Physiology
The autonomic nervous system is the one in charge of controlling and coordinating all our organs and systems; regulating, for example: blood pressure, body temperature, digestive system, heart rate, etc. All these functions are controlled from the limbic system through a series of nerves that we call sympathetic and parasympathetic.
The Sympathetic system comes into operation when our brain perceives an alert situation. At the same time, the brain stimulates the production of some stress neurotransmitters such as cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. The latter are secreted by the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys. These hormones are part of the fight or flight mechanism. This generates a series of effects on different systems of our body, such as increased blood flow to our muscles, dilating the bronchi and pupils, increasing sweating and reducing the activity of the intestines.
The Parasympathetic system has the opposite or antagonistic effect. It kicks in when we're relaxed, so our pulse slows and blood flows to our intestines to aid digestive processes. Its hormone is acetylcholine that has relaxing effects on various organs including intestines, heart, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, genito-urinary system, etc. The malfunction of these systems results in what is medically known as dysautonomia.
When the sympathetic system does not work, the person may feel without energy or encouragement to carry out daily activities. This system is activated at dawn, when the hormone cortisol enters the bloodstream and gives us the push to get out of bed and start our activities.
On the other hand, if the parasympathetic system does not work properly, it will be difficult for us to fall asleep at night, causing insomnia. Many times it may seem that we have slept for many hours, however, when we get up we feel tired. This is because we have not achieved a deep and restful sleep. This lack of sleep not only affects our brain but affects every cell in our body. Each one needs a period of rest to be able to recover its functions, the cells also suffer from stress. Over time, stress affects our entire body, generating endless ailments and diseases, and we will go into detail in the next lesson.
It is necessary to understand that both systems, being antagonistic, must work in perfect balance to enjoy complete health. As a whole, they control the Circadian cycles, which is the biological clock that tells our body when to be most active and when to sleep and rest. Stress, added to many other factors such as poor nutrition, poor lifestyle, sedentary lifestyle, drug abuse are responsible for our body altering its natural balance. While disciplines like yoga, meditation can be of great help. When the stress is very acute, other means can be used to get out of the crisis, such as massages and/or psychological therapy.
The balance of our systems will allow us to enjoy excellent health, delaying the aging process. Likewise, we can also notice a greater resistance to pathogens: viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites, that is to say that we will hardly suffer from any type of infection. In the long run, a more vital and balanced body will delay the onset of metabolic, chronic-degenerative or autoimmune diseases. In this way we will go from a vicious circle to a virtuous circle.
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