Stress and distress. What are the dangers and benefits of strong emotional experiences? Why are strong neodymium magnets dangerous? Why are the strong dangerous?

08.01.2020

The most vulnerable potential victims of the sub-zero vagaries of nature are children and the elderly. It is better for these categories of the population not to leave the house at all in severe cold. But everyone else should also take the necessary measures to protect their bodies, especially those suffering from cardiovascular diseases. If you feel that you have something similar to ARVI or a bronchopulmonary disease, then it is better not to go outside at all, so as not to provoke an exacerbation of the disease and related complications.

Why are they dangerous for humans? very coldy and how should one defend against the “silent attack” of low temperatures?

Frost and alcohol - an explosive mixture

It is dangerous to drink too much alcohol because you can fall asleep in a snowdrift. It is generally accepted that it is very useful to warm up from the cold with vodka. Indeed, when it is very cold, alcohol dilates blood vessels for a while, but then this leads to a sharp spasm of peripheral vessels, which also entails the danger of frostbite. So you can get frostbite without a “drunk blackout” in a snowdrift.

Frost increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes to some extent. Sharp cold - on its own natural factor, which increases the likelihood of vascular spasms. And after drinking alcohol, the danger increases significantly. Before going out, you should not drink alcohol at all. In this case, two factors - frost and alcohol - will work in the same direction. The risk of heart attack, stroke and, as I already said, even frostbite increases.

Morality will protect health even in the cold

It is not so much the frost that is dangerous as the person’s neglect of his own health, often simply for the sake of cultivated fashion.

Of course, in cold weather you should always dress warmly. You definitely need to wear a hat: now young people really like to walk without a hat, but this is very, very dangerous (over the head human body loses up to 40%). It is important to wear a scarf, warm socks, mittens and shoes with warm and comfortable soles.

We must remember about vitamins, especially vitamin C. There are citrus fruits: lemons, oranges, tangerines. If your temperature rises or you feel unwell, you should stay at home and lie down. It is believed that strong drinks can be treated. But another tradition is still much more effective - drinking tea with honey and raspberries.

Piercing: a special risk area

This change in weather leads to increased joint pain. Pressure changes can also lead to hypertensive crises and pain in the heart. You need to be careful in the cold, and not only because you should be wary of frostbite. Spasms of the blood vessels of the heart and brain can occur, which is why dizziness often occurs in cold weather.

The risk of inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, gynecological diseases in women and prostate diseases in men increases. We often take great risks by sitting on cold seats in public transport or benches on the street. So, in cold weather, it is necessary that warm clothes cover certain areas.

It is necessary to protect exposed areas of the body - face, hands - from frost. In cold weather, your hands need mittens or mittens, not gloves, since even the warmest gloves are not able to protect your fingers from frostbite. It is best to treat exposed areas of the body with a special winter cream. You just need to check that it has a very low moisture content. If there is no such special cream, you should not use any cream, including one that looks “greasy.” After all, even minimal skin moisturizing in the cold can lead to serious consequences.

If you wear metal jewelry - rings, earrings, piercings - then you must take them off in cold weather. If the cold is strong, there is a risk of frostbite in those parts of the body that come into contact with the metal. However, even with light frost or even cool weather, such decorations are harmful to health. There is a cold effect of the metal on physiologically active points, and this can seriously affect health. Young people who decorate their face and tongue with piercings are especially at risk.

Under no circumstances should you wash your hands in the cold with hot or even warm water. This procedure can only be done after adaptation to room temperature has occurred. By warming your hands with water, you risk not only harming the skin, but also causing spasm of blood vessels and capillaries. The same applies to foot baths and warm compresses.

In cold weather, it is important to strengthen your immune system so as not to get sick during warmer weather. So eat foods rich in vitamins and take immunomodulatory medications. Forget about strict low-calorie diets: in cold weather you need to increase the amount of fats and proteins in your diet. Lard is perfect for restoring energy reserves.

Let us remind you that the issue of protection from frost is, in fact, very acute. Every year tens of thousands of people around the world die from frostbite. AND big cities with their seemingly guaranteed warmth are no exception.

In everyday life, we use the word “stress” as a synonym for strong excitement and worry. But from a medical point of view, this concept is much broader. Stress is one of the body's adaptation mechanisms to stress external environment, reaction to any irritating factors: problems at work, exams, hunger, lack of sleep, even fluctuations in atmospheric pressure.

In response to this or that irritation, the body begins general mobilization: The brain sends an alarm signal, stress hormones are released into the blood: adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol.

From a neurological point of view, there are two main reactions to stress - doctors conventionally call them “attack” and “flight”.

In the first case, finding oneself in an uncomfortable situation, a person begins to actively act and mobilize. History knows many examples when under stress creative people created great works. Mozart's "Requiem", Brahms' symphonies, Beethoven's sonatas are a vivid example of this. Athletes also experience stress during competitions, and for many it is precisely this that helps them win.

The second reaction, on the contrary, involves avoiding the problem. Once in difficult situation, a person wants to renounce it. He needs to switch to something else, and then the solution will come to him. Such a reaction, like an “attack,” is normal and physiological from a medical point of view.

By the way

Stress has its own power scale. And it doesn’t matter what caused it - joy or grief. Wedding or divorce, dismissal or promotion - everything has its own “price”, which is different for everyone. It all depends on where this or that event is located in the hierarchy of values, as well as on the individual safety margin of the organism.

Important

Stress hormones (primarily adrenaline) have a stimulating effect on the immune system, activate the heart, deepen breathing. And in this sense, stress is an excellent simulator that allows you to keep your body in shape.

However, there is also a negative form of stress - distress. It occurs if the body's resources are insufficient to adequately respond to external irritation. Distress is usually considered a chronic, prolonged stay in a state of stress, when a person is significantly overtired or constantly experiences pronounced negative emotions: anxiety, excitement, humiliation, etc. In any case, distress leads to exhaustion of the body and is harmful to health.

Test yourself

Sure signs of distress are:

inability to concentrate on something;
absent-mindedness, forgetfulness;
increased excitability, irritability;
speech impairment (stuttering, confusion of words, frequent repetition of the same thing);
a sharp increase in the number of cigarettes smoked and doses of alcohol;
loss of appetite or, conversely, a craving for overeating;
change in the perception of time (it goes either too fast or too slow);
muscle tension (jaws and fists clench spontaneously, tension occurs in the neck);
periodic pain in the head, neck and shoulder girdle, in the stomach, nausea, heartburn.

None of us can completely protect ourselves from stress - after all, it is a natural part of our lives. But it is quite possible to reduce the risk that stress will turn into distress.

To reduce your risk:

If these methods fail to cope with stress and their negative impact on health, dietary supplements that increase a person’s resistance to environmental factors will come to your aid.

To the doctor!

You should consult your doctor if:

on the background nervous tension you have problems severe pain in the heart or sharp pain in the abdomen;
if, due to stress, you experience insomnia or headaches, especially if they last for several days in a row.

Drugs

Remember, self-medication is life-threatening, seek advice regarding the use of any medicines consult a doctor.

Full development of personality requires some kind of external influence. This impact can be people, events and... stress. It is this last factor that interests us.

Stress can be physical and psychological. Physical - arise from a feeling of hunger, heat, thirst, cold, infection, etc. Psychological - are a consequence of severe nervous strain.

The effect of stress on the human body can be both positive and negative. Positive changes are brought about by stress that is not too strong and prolonged. However, if the impact of stress is intense, sudden, and prolonged, then it is destructive. In an attempt to compensate for growing internal dissatisfaction, a person begins to use psychoactive substances, alcohol, drugs, changes sexual preferences, commits rash acts, plunges into the world of gambling. This behavior only aggravates internal discomfort and adds problems.

If stress has a negative impact, then a number of indicators may change, including physical and mental health, social circle, success in implementing professional plans, relationships with the opposite sex.

Stress and its consequences are directly proportional phenomena, the stronger and longer stress, the more Negative influence It has a first and foremost effect on health.

Stress disrupts the usual rhythm of a person’s life. Due to severe nervous overstrain, the most vulnerable systems of the body are “attacked”: the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system.

It is possible to develop diseases such as:

angina pectoris
increased blood sugar
hypertension
heart attack
increase in fatty acid levels
gastritis
insomnia
stomach ulcer
neuroses
chronic colitis
cholelithiasis
depression
decreased immunity, resulting in frequent colds, etc.

The effect of stress on the human body may not appear immediately, but may have a delayed development of a serious and sometimes life-threatening disease. It’s not for nothing that doctors warn us that “all diseases come from nerves.”

The hormones produced by the body during stress are necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the body, but the volume of these hormones should not be high. A high amount of such hormones contributes to the development of various diseases, including cancer. Their negative impact is aggravated by the fact that modern people lead a sedentary lifestyle and rarely use muscle energy. For this reason, active substances “wander” throughout the body in high concentrations for a long time, thereby keeping the body in a state of tension and not allowing nervous system calm down.

Thus, a high concentration of glucocorticoids causes the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids, which ultimately contributes to muscle dystrophy.

In bone tissue, hormones lead to suppression of calcium absorption, resulting in a decrease in bone mass. The risk of developing osteoporosis, a fairly common disease among women, increases. In the skin – they inhibit the renewal of fibroblasts, thereby causing thinning of the skin, promoting poor healing in case of damage.

The consequences of stress can manifest themselves in degeneration of brain cells, growth retardation, decreased insulin secretion, etc.

In connection with such an extensive list, a new direction in medicine has emerged - psychosomatic medicine. She deals with all kinds of stress that act as the main or accompanying pathogenetic factors that provoke the development of diseases.

Stress and social circle

Stress itself has no effect on your social circle. However, the consequences of stress, expressed in psycho-emotional changes, can become one of the main factors that disrupt interaction with members of society. First of all, these violations are associated with a reluctance to maintain previous relationships, which leads to a narrowing of the circle of friends.

In addition, conflict, sharp negativism and outbursts of anger are common in this situation, which naturally affects the interaction with communication partners.

As a result, a person who has experienced a stress disorder, under the influence of acquired characteristics, loses his usual social circle, which contributes to the strengthening of post-stress reactions.

Stress and family

Stress and its consequences negatively affect family relationships. Regardless of which spouse has experienced stress, certain difficulties arise in the family. They are associated with violations:

in communication (temper, conflict, suspiciousness do not strengthen communication between spouses)
in the intimate sphere (refusal to fulfill marital duties)
V professional activity(loss of job, deterioration in the financial well-being of the family).

How to avoid negative consequences

We have already said more than once that personal strength lies not in the ability to “hide” from stress, but in the ability to control one’s condition. It is this ability that will subsequently protect against negative impact stressful situations. There are many techniques for restoring a normal psycho-emotional state.

First of all, after suffering from nervous overstrain, you should “let off steam.” An effective remedy is an exercise consisting of a simple strong cry. To fulfill it, one condition is necessary - ensuring privacy so as not to frighten others. You can go out into nature and there in its bosom, throw out everything that has accumulated. To do this, you need to concentrate on negative emotions and that there is strength to shout. You can shout any sound or word. Three approaches are enough.
Well restores internal balance breathing exercises. The connection between breathing and human condition has long been established. For example, in a moment of severe fright, you lose your breath. By restoring the normal breathing rhythm, it is possible to restore and emotional condition. There are many different options for gymnastics. To calm down, you need to slowly inhale through your nose, slightly holding your breath for a couple of seconds, and also exhale slowly, but already through your mouth. This exercise can be combined well with exercises to relax body parts or facial muscles.
Physical activity helps cope with the effects of stress. This can be sports activities (team games or individual exercises) or ordinary household work that allows active movement (washing floors, weeding the garden). In addition to the fact that as a result of muscle work, the body gets rid of unnecessary stress products that have formed in its tissues, these activities will allow you to escape from unpleasant thoughts.
The support of loved ones is of great importance in overcoming the results of stress. The opportunity to speak out, throw out accumulated thoughts and at the same time receive approval will allow you to “heal” mental trauma.
A good Russian bath will rid the body of stress hormones.
The power of art helps to cope. Singing, music, dancing affect emotions, relieve tension, and allow you to express experiences. In addition, singing and dancing help normalize breathing (we wrote about its importance above) and increase physical activity, the role of which is invaluable in anti-stress therapy.

Thus, cope with stress and its consequences without harm to health and loss social connections, Maybe. It is important to want this and know some of the secrets that we share with you. Once you defeat this “monster”, you will be able to go through life feeling like a winner and master of your life.

Summer is the time when you can finally take a break from work and everyday worries at sea or in the country. But along with the holiday season comes intense heat that gives no rest, day or night. Those who live in the urban jungle especially suffer from high temperatures, where the hot asphalt makes it stuffy and the air temperature rises several degrees higher than in the countryside. Even 20 minutes of exposure to the scorching rays of the sun can result in severe burns.

How does extreme heat affect people?

High temperatures are a serious test for humans. When a street thermometer shows 30°C or more, changes occur in the body that have a detrimental effect on well-being and health:
. Sweat is produced more actively - sweating is necessary for a person to cool the body. But in extreme heat it becomes abundant. Sweat production increases 4-5 times. The same condition is observed when a person performs physical work, climbs the stairs and plays sports. Excessive sweating leads to disruption of water and salt balance. And as a result, the body becomes dehydrated. Due to lack of fluid, cells, brain and other organs suffer.

Elderly people, young children, hypertensive patients and heart patients, whose body does not control heat exchange, especially suffer from the summer heat.

The skin temperature rises - as a result of overheating of the integument, large heat loss occurs.
. Breathing and heart rate increase - during abnormal heat, a person feels a lack of oxygen.
. Cerebral circulation is disrupted - due to high temperatures, less blood enters the brain than usual. And this is fraught with headaches, dizziness and even stroke.

It is also worth adding that abnormal temperatures put a person in a stressful state. He suffers from insomnia, sudden mood swings and fears. Often experiences anxiety, dissatisfaction and irritability. Now let’s look at what health problems extreme heat can cause.

Heatstroke and sunstroke are frequent “guests” of hot summers

High temperatures are favorable conditions for sunstroke or heatstroke. Such painful conditions have a negative impact on the human body.

The victim experiences the following unpleasant symptoms:
. body temperature rises to 39-40 °C;
. heart rate increases;
. headache;
. dizziness, nausea and vomiting appear;
. cold sweat appears;
. facial skin turns red;
. loss of strength occurs.

Sunstroke and heatstroke are insidious in that they often lead to convulsions and loss of consciousness. And in especially severe cases, they can result in coma and even death.

Despite the common symptoms, sunstroke and heatstroke are different from each other. Thus, a person receives the first condition as a result of prolonged exposure sun rays on the unprotected surface of the head. In this case, sweating is disrupted, blood vessels dilate, and blood stagnates in the brain. As for heat stroke, it can occur in an enclosed area with high air temperature and low humidity.
If you notice the first symptoms of sunstroke or heatstroke, you must act immediately. The first step is to take the patient or take him away from the sun or other source of intense heat to a cooler place. This can be in the shade or in a room with a comfortable temperature, sufficient oxygen and normal humidity levels. Then you should remove the victim from clothing to allow the skin to cool, and lay him down so that his legs are higher than his head. If the person is conscious, give him water at room temperature to drink and apply a cold compress to his head. It could be a bottle with cold water or ice cubes. Next, provide the victim with complete rest. If he loses consciousness, call an ambulance.

Problems of the heart and blood vessels: from blood pressure to heart attack

Abnormal heat most often “hits” heart patients and hypertensive patients. At high air temperatures, additional stress falls on the heart and blood vessels. Hypertensive patients experience surges in blood pressure, and those who suffer from coronary heart disease experience angina attacks, which are accompanied by sharp pain in the chest area. It is also not uncommon for extreme heat to lead to heart attacks or even heart attacks.

Rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, a feeling of lack of air and tightness in the chest - these are the symptoms that people with cardiovascular diseases suffer in the summer heat.

How to protect yourself from the serious consequences of the summer heat? Everything is very simple: you need to avoid being in the sun during its peak activity - from 12:00 to 16:00, wear light, loose and light clothes, preferably made of natural materials: linen, cotton or silk, and also do not forget about a hat. As for quenching your thirst, instead of coffee and carbonated drinks, give your preference to plain water, green tea, compotes and fruit drinks.

Throat and lung problems in extreme heat

Abnormally high air temperatures in summer also harm those who suffer from bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma or other chronic respiratory diseases. The person feels an acute lack of oxygen. He is literally suffocating.

Also, often in the summer, children and adults suffer from colds, sore throats and pneumonia. The reason for this is the use of large quantities cold drinks and ice cream, as well as being under air conditioning or in front of a draft. Sore throat is dangerous because if complicated, it can lead to disability, and pneumonia can lead to weakening of the entire body and even death.

To avoid such consequences, observe the following preventive measures:
. Don't sit directly under the air conditioner.
. Do not drink ice water in greedy sips. It is better to quench your thirst with cool water and small sips.
. Avoid drafts.
Awareness of the dangers of extreme heat in summer will allow you to take better care of your health and prevent serious consequences.