Stress and the Immune Response

Stress has been known, for many years to be damaging to the immune system.  Long term chronic stress in particular, has been shown to suppress the protective immune response*.   Chronic stress is defined as stress lasting greater than a few days.  This type of stress leaves the body more vulnerable to infection and disease.  How then can a person first, identify stress and second, manage or eliminate it?

Recognizing stress can be difficult, its onset is often insidious.  Many times, in the midst of the stress we are unaware of how stressed we are until a crisis occurs, such as getting sick ourselves. Often, a little self-reflection can identify whether or not we are chronically stressed.  Am I getting sick often? Am I more irritable than I used to be? Am I having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep?  How tight are my muscles? Perhaps it’s obvious, a divorce, a move, a sick loved one, or job-related stress.  The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale can help you identify a stresser and gauge of how likely it is to cause you stress and disease.  The best thing you can do is be honest with yourself, skip the denial, and start making changes. 

Reducing stress is a lifestyle change.  Often people live in constant stress, deny its existence, or know of its existence but do nothing about it.  Think of reducing chronic stress as you would exercising and eating well.  It is a long-term process and the goal is to produce healthy habits that protect your body long term.

Stress management strategies include but are not limited to:

1. Change your thoughts about our circumstances. There are many books and programs available, though one of my favorite authors is Bob Proctor.  Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction is another great program.
2. Engage in spiritual practices like meditation and/or prayer consistently.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Address anger, anxiety, and depression and work toward their resolution.
5. Eat a balanced diet and avoid stimulants like caffeine, energy drinks, and nicotine.
6. Sleep 8 hours or more per night. Use the concepts of sleep hygiene to help here.
7. Manage your daily activities to not overload yourself.
8. Get your financial health in check.  If needed, use a program like Dave Ramsey, or something similar, for good financial strategies.

Don't forget your doctor is in your corner and may be able to identify some points of stress that are holding you back.  

*Immunologic Research volume 58, pages 193–210(2014)