Is Stress Causing Inflammation?

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If I were to ask you to give me a rating for your level of stress using a stress scale from 1-10 (1 being no stress, 10 being high stress), what would it be?

Often I don’t think we stop to realize just how much stress we’re under.

For example, when I ask clients to give me a rating on the stress scale they often write 2 or 3 and report that they aren’t really stressed.

But when they list their symptoms and their lifestyle habits and routines, it’s clear to me that they are under lots of stress.

Stress is the number one causative factor for many things that we suffer. In fact studies show that more than 40% of work related illness is due to stress and one of the greatest causative factors in the growing incident of modern disease is stress.

I was actually shocked by that high percentage when I first came across it. Does it surprise you too? How is your work stress right now?

Forms Of Stress

Stress comes from many different angles and in many different shapes and forms.

• Emotional stress – our relationships, depression, struggles, financial issues, pressure
• Physical stress – diet, alcohol, lack of sleep, illness, pain, injury, exercise
• Environmental stress – our workplace, toxins, pollutants, clutter, traffic, waiting, pesticides

These are just a few examples but you can see that it makes sense that it soon piles up on us, right?

But what about inflammation?

What is the connection between stress and inflammation?

Is Stress Causing Inflammation?

Cortisol, our main stress hormone, is a glucocorticoid and glucocorticoids have the ability to both stimulate and suppress the immune system.

Glucocorticoids are actually a type of anti-inflammatory medication. Because of this reason, researchers always assumed that stress would cause an anti-inflammatory response, but this is not the case.

You see,

• Acute stress stimulates the immune system
• Chronic stress suppresses the immune system

You might be wondering what inflammation has to do with the immune system.

Well, the process of inflammation in the body is initiated by the immune system.

The image above helps explain both acute and chronic inflammation. You can read more about that process over here.

The important thing to note is that the body is constantly trying to maintain a balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory. It’s just the natural process that occurs.

But what if there is too much stress?

What if all of those stressors just keep piling up on us?

The result is increased inflammation!

Under prolonged stress the body has so many things to fight that the immune response is constantly in action and this can result in chronic systemic inflammation in the body.

So is stress causing your inflammation?

As I pointed out above, stress comes from many different angles and in many different shapes and forms.

• Emotional stress – our relationships, depression, struggles, financial issues, pressure
• Physical stress – diet, alcohol, lack of sleep, illness, pain, injury, exercise
• Environmental stress – our workplace, toxins, pollutants, clutter, traffic, waiting, pesticides

So ask yourself the questions:

• Ask yourself what could be the cause of your symptoms?
• Ask yourself what influence your job is really having on your life?
• Examine how your diet really is and ask yourself how you can eat better?

Sometimes we have to do a life audit and plan strategies for change.

If you’re struggling, really sit down and evaluate where your stressors are coming from. Then start chipping away at what you can DO to change them.

This is one of my favorite quotes

Seeking better health and a more balanced life is a journey, but one well worth embracing

Your health is your wealth,

Jedha

Nutritionist & Health Counselor

P.S. Need Help To Reduce Pain and Inflammation Naturally? Check out my Anti-Inflammatory Diet Plan.

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