Stress: Emotions and Health

You have a serious spat with your husband or lover. Four days later, your throat is sore. Did the yelling injure your vocal cords? Not likely. Did your own anger boomerang? Probably. Whether you won the argument or not, your strong emotions set the stage for a second battle of which you were completely unaware. The battle between your immune system and a common cold virus. Victory went to the opportunistic virus.

Your immune system is your first line of defense against foreign invaders. Immune cells travel in the bloodstream throughout your entire body, contacting virtually every other cell. Those they recognize, they leave alone. Those they don't recognize, they attack, beating back viruses, bacteria, and cancer.

Researchers once thought the immune system and the brain/nervous system were completely separate. Recently they've discovered that these two systems are in constant contact, sending signals back and forth. A direct physical pathway allows emotions to impact the immune system.

Scientific evidence has shown that by compromising immune function emotions can:

speed the metastasis of cancer
increase vulnerability to viral infections, including common colds and flu
exacerbate plaque formation in arteries, leading to atherosclerosis, blood clotting and heart attack
accelerate the onset and course of diabetes
worsen or trigger an asthma attack
lead to ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract
damage memory

Anger, Anxiety, and Isolation
Chronic anger and anxiety can make you more susceptible to a range of diseases. For example, anger can reduce the pumping efficiency of the heart and has been associated with higher incidence of heart attacks.

Anxiety--a common stress reaction--is linked to the onset of illness and also affects recovery. Anxiety at one time served a useful purpose--preparing our ancestors for fight or flight in the face of two- and four-footed predators. Though menacing bipeds still lurk among us, most of our anxieties today are out of proportion to the dangers posed by modern life. Without a legitimate focus, anxiety ends up hurting us.

Social isolation--the subjective sense of being cut off from people and having no one to turn to--doubles the chances of sickness or death. Isolation is as significant to mortality rates as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and lack of physical exercise.

Protect Your Immune System So It Can Protect You!
If negative emotions can weaken the immune system, perhaps positive emotions can strengthen it. Many are skeptical of such reverse logic, but growing evidence supports it. For example, numerous studies have shown that patients who are optimistic recover faster with fewer medical complications than patients who are pessimistic.

Anyway, why wait for the longitudinal studies when you can consciously work at strengthening your immune system now? Here are some things you can do:

Use imagery or nurturing self-talk to bolster your immune cells. Picture yourself growing stronger, healthier and more in control of your emotions. Capture these same images with the words you say to yourself.
When you are upset, unburden yourself. It's good medicine. In one study, women with terminal cancer who attended group sessions lived twice as long as women who faced their disease alone. But don't wait until you are seriously ill. When a dark cloud descends, talk with someone you trust--spouse, sibling, friend, lover or professional counselor.
Another way to unburden yourself is to write. Write not only about things that are troubling you now, but about past traumatic events. For example, write for 15 or 20 minutes a day and keep it up for several days. First express your feelings, then weave a narrative. Try to find some meaning in the trauma or problem. If you are grieving, write a poem about your sorrow.
Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga. Many in the medical profession are now using relaxation to ease symptoms of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, and chronic pain.
Draw, paint or dance to express your feelings. Make it a priority to exercise vigorously every day, but especially on low days and disaster days.

Investing in one or two of these small changes now will reap immediate benefits during the cold and flu season, and in the extended run help you to live a longer, healthier life.

This article is for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Your health and lifestyle may make the outcomes different for you. You should consult with a physician or other health-care professional familiar with nutrition, prevention, and related health issues.

Dianne Schilling is a San Diego-based writer, editor and instructional designer who specializes in the development of educational publications and customized training programs for business and industry. She is a founding partner in womensmedia.com. Send e-mail to dianneschilling@mac.com.