STRESS MEDICINE

What is stress from a biological point of view?

The word ‘stress’ comes from the English language and has numerous meanings, such as pressure, tension, strain, stress. Stress’ causes a biological reaction in our body, i.e. the activation and release of adrenaline and cortisol through the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands, which puts us in a state of fight or flight.
Acute stress has a protective function, thus promoting life-saving reactions. Chronic stress, on the other hand, poses a considerable threat to our bodies with detrimental effects on our health; it insidiously affects our emotions and imperceptibly influences our thought patterns and, not least, leads to undesirable changes in behaviour, which in turn have a negative impact on our environment. The end result, not infrequently, is isolation or even emotional or mental breakdown.
Chronic stress weakens our immune system and damages our body (see also nutrition). The only question will then be where our ‘Achilles tendon’, our weakest point, is; in the early days of modern medicine it was called ‘locus minoris resistentiae’, a place of minor resistance.

Tiredness and exhaustion: the prevailing symptoms, but not only…

Statistically, two thirds of the population suffer from chronic exhaustion and fatigue. It seems to have become almost a folk disease. On the one hand, the causes are chronic stressful situations, which can be of professional, family or emotional origin; but it is often the combination of several factors that reduce our performance and put our long-term health at risk. On the other hand, recovery phases are usually too short, so our system (mind and body) cannot regenerate sufficiently.
Numerous diseases are caused by excessive chronic stress. From an ENT point of view, after ruling out other causes of course, the following complaints are evoked:

Dizziness and a feeling of drunkenness can also be signs of exhaustion or a warning sign of an onset of burnout.
In addition, the following illnesses are warning signs of chronic stress and should be taken very seriously:

It is worth watching the YouTube documentary Stress – portrait of a Killer by National Geographics (2008).

The different forms of stress

Every form of stress manifests itself sooner or later in the body. When classifying stress, there are often mixed forms and the overall picture must be taken into account. A distinction is also made between acute and chronic:
1. Psychosocial

2. Physical

3. Chemical

The list can be extended almost indefinitely. When the individual stress factors add up, over time they have a particularly damaging effect on the organism (negative synergy).

Stress is tangible

If you notice a change in behavior, it is advisable to look for possible causes related to stress. In addition to the diseases mentioned above, the following symptoms and behaviors are related to stress of any origin and should be taken seriously:

Stress is measurable

Thanks to scientific research and technical developments, it is now possible to create a stress profile or define our stress level; This consists of a questionnaire, saliva and urine tests (which can be done at home) and the measurement of heart rate variability (HRV = Heart Rate Variability). A validated measurement and evaluation (not entirely cheap) allows the integral stress test (Integraler Stresstest®). The results allow a reliable assessment of our vulnerability, i.e. our susceptibility or predisposition to chronic diseases. Depending on the results and physical complaints, targeted therapeutic measures are recommended to prevent these diseases and/or to increase vitality and enjoyment of life.

Stress Coaching

The following topics are part of the treatment program and will be discussed in consecutive order:
1. Supplementation of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.)
possibly additional neuromodulators (no antidepressants or antipsychotics!) and bioidentical substances (neurotransmitter precursors)
2. Relaxation, relaxation techniques and mindfulness
3. Behavior modification or adaptation

The following principle applies to all measures: change what can be changed. Furthermore, small changes in the right direction are much more effective than large leaps that risk making you fall. Our goal is to achieve stable, long-term results. You can find more information about this in the Energy and Vitality section.