Mind-Body Health and Healing. Andrew Goliszek
in the body containing unpaired electrons. Damage occurs when the free radical encounters another molecule and seeks to find another electron to pair with its unpaired electron. The free radical often pulls an electron off a neighboring molecule, causing the affected molecule to become a free radical itself. The new free radical can then pull an electron off the next molecule, and a chemical chain reaction of radical production occurs. This process causes damage to cells that contain free radicals. Other research indicates that when older people experience stress they have a lowered lymphocyte count and a decrease in the hormone thymosin, both factors in impaired immune function.
As we age, our homeostatic mechanisms don’t work as well as they once did. We don’t absorb calcium as well, our digestive and excretory systems are not as efficient, our immune systems are weakened, and our hearts are not as strong. We become less tolerant of stress, both physically and emotionally, which is the reason we don’t adjust as well to changes in temperature or blood pressure. We typically recover more slowly from infections, but even more so when we’re stressed. According to researchers, HIV-infected patients older than fifty have levels of depression five times higher than the general population, which further increases the risk of other diseases.10 Not surprisingly, as indicated in Figure 2.5, people are diagnosed with cancer at higher rates as they age.
Figure 2.5: Increase in Cancer Rates as Men and Women Age.
Stress hormones may also contribute to formation of amyloid plaques in the brain and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the University of California–Irvine found that when animals were injected with stress hormones, the levels of beta-amyloid production in the brain increased by 60 percent. They also found an increase in the production of another protein called tau, which leads to the formation of tangles, the other signature effect of Alzheimer’s. After just one week of experiments, the scientists saw plaque formation in young brains equivalent to brains that were twice as old. According to Frank LaFerla, PhD, professor of neurobiology and behavior and director of the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders at the University of California–Irvine, managing stress and reducing certain medications that contain glucocorticoids could significantly slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Scientists are getting close to discovering the genetic link to aging, which causes cell structure and function to deteriorate. Studies suggest that we are programmed to self-destruct, but that we can postpone that destruction through diet, exercise, and reducing stress. The process of aging itself can trigger various diseases. When a person thinks of aging as a stressful life event, the consequent emotional upheaval will invariably contribute to stress-related illnesses. The more stressful the aging process is perceived to be, the greater the probability that the stress will trigger disease. As a result, it’s not unusual to experience some sort of mental health problem as one gets older. Depression is common among the elderly, suicide is higher than it is in any other age group, and phobias and other mental disorders are also high due to four factors:
1. Because the immune system gradually loses its capacity to fight disease, the elderly are more prone to infections and become chronically sick. This leads to preoccupation with mortality and the onset of emotional disorders. Depression and suicide increase when physical and mental activities decrease.
2. Sensory and motor functions decline, which frustrate most older individuals. They are less likely to initiate a daily exercise program or to maintain healthful lifestyles because they feel as if nothing they do will help.
3. Continued stress reactions lead to negative conditioning. This habitual reinforcement strengthens the stress response and causes even more illness and disease.
4. The elderly typically have decreased social interactions. This is especially true after a spouse dies, following an illness, or when children move away. Rather than getting involved in activities that enhance their social support, they become isolated and depressed.
Despite the fact that we succumb to more diseases as we age, life expectancy has been rising steadily. Worldwide, the average lifespan is expected to extend another ten years by 2050. In the United States, the numbers of adults over the age of sixty-five will more than double by 2030, as will the number of adults over the age of eighty. The reasons are improved nutrition, more activity, decreased rates of smoking, and better health practices such as stress management that keep our immune systems working better and longer.
No matter what we might wish, no one has as yet discovered the elusive Fountain of Youth, and we are nowhere near a breakthrough that will reverse aging or stop the programmed end of life. What we can do is make sure that life ends naturally and not with a disease that could have been avoided. In the chapters ahead, I’ll discuss ways in which we can condition the brain to help us slow the aging process and maximize life span. I’ll also discuss proven methods for boosting the immune system and fighting disease throughout life, no matter how old we are.
Using the Mind-Body Connection to Prevent Disease
Recognizing Signs and Symptoms
Reversing the disease process and maintaining health and well-being throughout life is not as challenging as it sounds, so long as we maintain a regular program of prevention and, when necessary, intervention. Regular checkups, screenings (blood pressure, cholesterol, prostate and mammary exams, etc.), healthy diet, exercise, stress management, and even alternative treatments are all part of a strategy that keeps our immune system strong and healthy.
A sign is the physical effect caused by a particular disease: an unusual lump, a lesion, a change in skin color. A symptom is what we feel to be a change in our normal bodily function: pain, nausea, fatigue, etc. Some diseases affect very limited body areas. Carcinogens, for example, affect only certain cells in certain parts of the body. Therefore, we need to be aware of any changes and not ignore symptoms, even if we don’t think they’re very serious. Keep in mind, though, that we all have different levels of tolerance. A small irritant to one person can actually be a major symptom that indicates the beginnings of a disease.
Under no circumstance should we try to diagnose ourselves. That’s what people spend years in medical school and residency programs for. But what we can do is look for early warning signs and symptoms that, once discovered, should always be discussed with our physician or healthcare provider. It’s easy to overlook small, insignificant things or to chalk symptoms up to nothing more than minor aches or pains. And though we don’t want to become hypochondriacs, misdiagnosis is a common way to allow a disease that could have been treated at an early stage to progress and get out of hand, in some cases becoming incurable.
By looking and feeling for changes regularly, you’ll be more aware of them when they do eventually happen. Some of us may not like the idea of inspecting ourselves; we may feel its immodest or just “not how we were raised.” But how else do we become familiar enough with our body to know what it normally should look and feel like?
Symptoms are divided into how they affect us physically, mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally. And though many common signs and signals of stress reactions can mimic symptoms of other problems, or do not lead to serious disease, they certainly might. The following table lists the most common signs to look for in the physical, mental, and emotional spheres, as well as the behavioral signs.
Common Signs and Signals of a Stress Reaction