In this short post to the Well blog on the New York Times, the author asks what the facts are in answering whether chronic stress makes you sick. The author concludes that “chronic stress may raise the risk of sickness by fostering resistance to cortisol.”
How does this happen? The answer:
“Released in greater amounts in times of stress, [the hormone cortisol] provides the body with a burst of energy. It also helps suppress the body’s immune response to infections like the flu, keeping inflammation responses like coughing, sneezing and fevers in check. But when levels of cortisol remain elevated, the body may become less sensitive to it, in the same way that elevated insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance.”
Obviously this is not good news for caregivers who often live with chronic stress.
The full blog post is here:
well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/
Well Blog
“Really? Constant Stress Makes You Sick”
New York Times
by Anahad O’Connor
April 9, 2012 12:08 PM