Herbert Benson, MD
Biography

	What level of stress causes physical problems? What does one do to lessen these effects? Can stress hinder weight loss? How can I discuss my husband's stress and his health with him?

Stress isn't just a state of mind -- it can affect your entire body. Learn which systems of your body are most affected by stress, and the toll stress takes on us in our day-to-day lives. Our guest was Herbert Benson, MD, founding president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute, on Nov. 4, 2004.

If you have questions about your health, you should consult your personal physician. This event is meant for informational purposes only.

MODERATOR:
Dr. Benson, what is it about stress that alters our physical selves?

BENSON:
Stress evokes the fight-or-flight response. The fight-or-flight response is characterized by increased metabolism, increased heart

Obviously, in today's world, when under stress we don't run, we don't fight. Yet we have adrenaline coursing through our blood system, and this is what leads to a number of stress-related symptoms, including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Excessive anger and hostility
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Insomnia
• Heart irregularities
• Recently it has been demonstrated that stress is a risk factor for heart attacks

And there are a number of gender issues directly related to stress.

• In men: decreased sperm count, decreased sexual performance
• In women: PMS, infertility, and menopausal hot flashes made worse by stress

So what do we mean by stress? Stress results from any condition that requires you to change, to adjust behaviorally. The changes can be positive or the changes can be negative.

For example, getting married, a wedding, is a joyous event. It's also stressful for many. Having an illness and having to adjust to that is a negative stress. And in our world today, we are constantly having to adjust to change. The changes of financial problems, the changes of terror, the changes of having family issues. These are not going away. And that is why we are seeing many illnesses caused or made worse by stress.

"The changes of financial problems, of terror, of having family issues. These are not going away. And that is why we are seeing many illnesses caused or made worse by stress."

MODERATOR:
What level of stress causes these kinds of problems? Is there a "measurable" amount to be aware of?

BENSON:
There is a relationship called the Yerkes-Dodson law, and that is the relationship with stress and performance and efficiency. As stress increases, there is no doubt that performance and efficiency and good health increase. In other words, when we have a deadline, we are more proficient, we perform better. But only to a point. Then performance and efficiency start to decrease. It's like an inverted U. So the more stress, the worse the performance, the worse your efficiency. Because most of us are on the down side of that curve, that's why we are burning out.

So what are stress symptoms? What are the symptoms that one can recognize when the stress begins to exceed our capacity to handle it? I'll talk about four symptom categories: physical, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive.

Physical symptoms:

• Headaches
• Indigestion
• Stomach aches
• Sweaty palms
• Sleep difficulties
• Dizziness
• Back pain
• Tight neck and shoulders
• Racing heart
• Restlessness
• Tiredness

Behavioral symptoms:

• Excessive smoking
• Bossiness
• Compulsive gum chewing
• Attitude critical of others
• Grinding one's teeth at night
• Overuse of alcohol
• Compulsive eating
• Inability to get things done

Emotional symptoms:

• Crying
• Nervousness
• Anxiety
• Boredom (there's no meaning to anything)
• Edginess (a readiness to explode)
• Feeling powerless to change things
• An overwhelming sense of pressure
• Loneliness
• Easily upset

Cognitive symptoms:

• Trouble thinking clearly
• Forgetfulness
• Lack of creativity
• Memory loss
• Inability to make decisions
• Constant worry
• Loss of sense of humor

It's clear that stress can either cause or make these symptoms worse. Obviously a person might be anxious or depressed, and medications obviously are in order. But stress can certainly make the condition worse, and in some cases actually cause it. So either way, the harmful effects of stress are present.

The opinions expressed herein are the guests' alone and have not been reviewed by a WebMD physician.