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Acute or Chronic Stress Stressors can also be defined as short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). Acute Stress. Acute stress is the reaction to an immediate threat, commonly known as the fight or flight response. The threat can be any situation that is perceived, even subconsciously or falsely, as a danger. Common acute stressors include: * Noise (which can trigger a stress response even during sleep) * Crowding * Isolation * Hunger * Danger * Infection * High technology effects (playing video games, frequently ringing mobile phones) * Imagining a threat or remembering a dangerous event Under most circumstances, once the acute threat has passed, levels of stress hormones return to normal. This is called the relaxation response. Chronic Stress. Frequently, modern life poses ongoing stressful situations that are not short-lived. The urge to act (to fight or flee) must therefore be controlled. Stress, then, becomes chronic. Common Sources of Chronic Stress • Anger • Fear • Worry • Anxiety • Depression • Guilt • Overwork • Excessive Exercise • Sleep Deprivation • Lifecycle Disruption • Late hours • Surgery • Gluten Intolerance • Injury • Whiplash • Inflammation • Pain • Temperature Extremes • Toxic Exposures • Infections (chronic/acute ) • Chemicals • Heavy Metals • Electromagnetic Fields • Radiation • Geo-Physical Stressors • Mal-absorption • Low Blood Sugar • Poor Diet • Nutritional Deficiencies • Sucrose Intolerance • Food Allergies • Inhalant Allergies • Molds • Noise Pollution • Mal-digestion • Lactose Intolerance • Traumas (mental/emotional/physical) Symptoms In humans, symptoms of chronic stress can vary from anxiety, depression, social isolation, headache, abdominal pain or lack of sleep to back pain and difficulty concentrating. Other symptoms include: * gingivitis * upset stomach * headache * backache * insomnia * anxiety * depression * aggression * intense mood swings * rash * loss of concentration / poor concentration * heightened confusion in mildly stressful situations * inability to complete tasks * hypertension[11] * hemorrhoids[11] * varicose veins[11] * suicidal thoughts in some In severe cases it can lead to panic attacks or a panic disorder. Stress plays a role in triggering or worsening depression and cardiovascular disease.[12] Why should chronic stress concern me? Chronic stress can cause the breakdown of the body's hormone, immune, digestive and detoxification metabolic systems. The key to discovering the cause of illness is an accurate diagnosis of the sources and impact of chronic stress. There is a difference between occasional stresses that we may be exposed to and those stresses that become chronic in nature and repeat over and over and over again, day in and day out. External and Internal Stressors People can experience stress from external or internal factors. * External stressors include adverse physical conditions (such as pain or hot or cold temperatures) or stressful psychological environments (such as poor working conditions or abusive relationships). * Internal stressors can also be physical (infections and other illnesses, inflammation) or psychological (such as intense worry about a harmful event that may or may not occur). |