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Stressed Sick? A niche field finds a tangible link between busy, stressful lives and debilitating illnesses 
Whether you're stressed, burned out or just plain worn, we all have terms to describe when the daily grind makes us feel not all there. But can stress actually cause sickness? The field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) seeks the answer, and a new report in Perspectives on Psychological Science, published by the Association of Psychological Science, Washington, D.C., says the answer is yes. Stress can damage the immune system through inflammation, which is often the body's response to harmful stimuli and the first step to healing. Too much inflammation, though, according to Ohio State University College of Medicine psychologist Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, Columbus, Ohio, can be damaging. The effects of inflammation-inducing stress can increase risk of infection and delay wound healing. For Kiecolt-Glaser, the knowledge that stress can lead to illness has profound effects on ideal lifestyles. "The evidence that stress and distress impair vaccine responses has obvious public health relevance because infectious diseases can be so deadly," she says. Diseases such as Alzheimer's, arthritis and type II diabetes are related to inflammation, caused by the release of chemicals called proinflammatory cytokines. Psychological stressors release more of these chemicals and promote the development of these diseases. "These stress-related changes in inflammation provide evidence of one mechanism," Kiecolt-Glaser says, "through which stressors may accelerate risk of a host of age-related diseases." She recommends a diet rich in fatty fish, walnuts and other foods full of omega-3 fatty acids. |
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