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What does stress have to do with the common cold?
Published
7 years agoon
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Outlaw PartnersBy Jackie Rainford Corcoran EBS Health Columnist
What does stress have to do with the common cold? It turns out, quite a bit. Let’s consider how the stress response works in the body.
If we feel excited or threatened, hormones like adrenalin surge to boost our energy, focus our attention and improve our reaction time. Production of the hormone cortisol increases and causes additional sugar to be released into the bloodstream to provide the brain with extra energy.
Cortisol also curbs other systems that aren’t critical for keeping us alive during a stressful event. It regulates inflammatory, immune, digestive, reproductive and growth systems. Once the excitement or perceived threat passes, the body returns to a normal baseline.
Good stress, or “eustress,” is short term. It focuses energy, feels exciting, improves performance and is perceived as within our coping abilities. It might occur during joyful events in life such as the birth of a child, receiving a promotion or taking a vacation.
The opposite of eustress is distress, also called negative stress. It’s can be short- or long-term, causes anxiety, feels unpleasant, decreases performance, can lead to mental and physical problems and is perceived as outside of our coping abilities. It might occur due to relationship or money issues, excessive demands, lack of sleep or illness.
A problem many of us face today is that we’re spending too much time in distress and the body has less opportunity to return to a healthy baseline.
In 2012, Carnegie Mellon University published the work of a research team led by Sheldon Cohen. They found that people suffering from psychological stress are more susceptible to developing common colds. They found that symptoms of the common cold are not caused by the virus but are instead a side effect of the inflammatory response—the greater the body’s inflammatory response to the virus, the greater the likelihood of experiencing the symptoms of a cold.
It seems that prolonged stress decreases the body’s sensitivity to cortisol. This means that cortisol loses its ability to regulate the inflammatory response and creates uncontrolled inflammation, which promotes the development and progression of many diseases.
“The immune system’s ability to regulate inflammation predicts who will develop a cold, but more importantly it provides an explanation of how stress can promote disease,” Cohen wrote in the report. “When under stress, cells of the immune system are unable to respond to hormonal control, and consequently, produce levels of inflammation that promote disease. Because inflammation plays a role in many diseases such as cardiovascular, asthma and autoimmune disorders, this model suggests why stress impacts them as well.”
This is a great reason to become aware of our own stress patterns and learn to manage them. Meditation, exercise, the outdoors and simple breathing exercises are all great tools for mitigating stress. Also, eating a healthy diet of whole foods rather than processed foods while reducing sugar and caffeine help us become more resilient during stressful events.
An oft-overlooked tool that goes a long way in preventing and reducing stress is good communication. Check out the book “Nonviolent Communication” to learn more.
During the holiday season, feeling overwhelmed and stressed out is not uncommon. It’s also the cold and flu season. Coincidence? Maybe not.
Jackie Rainford Corcoran is an IIN Certified Holistic Health Coach and Consultant, a public speaker and health activist. Contact her at jackie@corehealthmt.com.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
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Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
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