Stress is the Number One Health Problem in the United States Today

For some twenty five years now stress has been seen as something of a health epidemic and this situation continues to get worse as an increasing number of workers report they are increasingly suffering stress in the workplace. In fact the workplace now constitutes the main environment for stress among adult Americans. But stress levels have also risen for children and teenagers in recent years and many believe that this is linked to a loss of family and religious values, isolation, a lack of social support and corporate greed.

Today, stress is more dangerous than it was just ten years ago and seems to be more widespread and more invasive than before with much greater stress coming from psychological instead of physical threats.

Stress produces a raised heart rate and greater blood flow leading in turn to higher blood pressure. Levels of blood sugar also increase to give the body the added fuel which it requires to combat stress and the body is designed to move blood away from the stomach when we are stressed in order to provide extra strength for the legs and arms as part of what is normally called our "flight or fight" response.

Stress also produces chronic depression and anxiety as well as to skin and gastrointestinal problems and disrupts the working of a number of the body's main organs. It can also cause impairment of the immune system that in unable to fight viral conditions from the not particularly serious cold to very serious conditions such as AIDS and cancer.

Stress at work directly influences things like absenteeism and productivity and the business climate progressively worsens with competition today at an all-time high. The pressure which is placed on employees to produce and the constant worry about job security can produce various conditions including neck pain, back pain, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, ulcers and heart attacks.

Lots of things can lead to stress including simply sitting at a computer monitor for seven hours every day or more, meeting targets or having someone continually monitoring you. In this case the results are generally seen as depression and a range of physical ailments which result in lost work time.

Taking the steps needed to manage the stress in your life may be the best gift you can give yourself and just a few quite simple alterations to your lifestyle can make a big difference to how you handle stress. For instance, taking a mere 20 minutes out of your day to walk will lower your stress level as will talking to friends and colleagues, meditation and prayer and eating a healthy diet. Take the time necessary to master a few methods of relaxation because breathing and relaxation exercises can considerably reduce your level of stress.

Autor: Donald Saunders Donald Saunders
Level: Platinum
Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including: "Help Me To Sleep - A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies", "Jet ... ...

In spite of the fact that stress is a significant health problem for millions of people today there are numerous ways to relieve stress available and the secret is simply to find what works best for you.

Added: January 26, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/