herpes virus research

rest to counter-balance the stress response, sufferers become prone to fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability and lethargy as the effort to sustain arousal slides into negative stress. Under persistent, chronic stress, sufferers enter the Exhaustion phase: mental, physical and emotional resources suffer heavily and the body experiences 'adrenal exhaustion', where blood sugar levels decrease as the adrenals become depleted, leading to decreased stress tolerance, progressive mental and physical exhaustion, illness and collapse. Exposure to excessive stress results in hormonal imbalances, which can produce a variety of symptoms:- Physical symptoms - changes in sleep patterns, missed heartbeats, fatigue, palpitations, changes in digestion, breathlessness, loss of sexual drive, headaches, infections, indigestion, tingling of hands and feet, aches and pains in various parts of the body, dizziness, sweating and trembling. Mental symptoms - lack of concentration, panic attacks, memory lapses, difficulty in making decisions, disorientation and confusion. Emotional symptoms - deterioration in personal hygiene and appearance, bouts of depression, impatience and irritability, fits of rage and tearfulness. Behavioural symptoms - appetite changes, eating disorders, increased intake of alcohol and other drugs, nail biting, fidgeting, restlessness, hypochondria and increased smoking. The term 'cardiovascular' refers to the heart and the body's system of blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease is probably the most serious health problem that can be linked to stress - it is the most common cause of death in the UK and the USA. The primary causes of heart disease include smoking and high fat diets but stress is a significant contributory factor. Adrenal hormones act to increase blood pressure; temporary rises in blood pressure present no threat to health but a frequent or perpetual state of high blood pressure can have a serious effect on health in the long term. High blood pressure is linked with the development of arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Arteriosclerosis is the result of the development of blood plaque in the arteries, which progressively narrows the pathway through which the blood flows. Eventually an artery can become blocked, leading to angina, stroke and heart failure. Infections, viruses, harmful bacteria and cancer are stopped from harming the body by the immune system. Excessive stress can damage the immune system by affecting the thymus gland, which manufactures white blood cells for regulating immunity and also produces various immune related hormones. The stress reaction diverts resources to the main parts of the body that need to deal with stress, mainly the brain, heart and muscles. The immune system and other systems are deprived of resources. The thymus gland may shrink because of the hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands. This will also degrade the work done by the white blood cells, which will cause damage to the body's ability to fight infection. Reduced resistance to common infections, such as flu, colds and herpes is a result of high stress. Because certain types of white blood cells produced by the thymus are active in preventing the development of cancer cells in the body, any damage to the thymus may effect the bod's ability to resist cancer. Asthma is a respiratory disorder marked by the temporary constriction of the bronchi, the airways branching from the trachea to the lungs. Attacks are usually brought on by allergic reactions to antigens, such as grass and tree pollen, mould spores, fungi and certain foods but also may be caused by chemical irritants in the atmosphere or by infections of the respiratory tract. Susceptibility to an asthma attack is based on hyperactivity of the bronchial muscles, which constrict on exposure to one or any of these agents. Chronic stress reduces the efficiency of the adrenal glands, reducing the output of anti inflammatory and anti allergic adrenal hormones, which may make an asthma attack more likely. Diabetes is caused by the inability of the body to metabolise sugar correctly, leading to excessively high levels of sugar in the blood. Sugar metabolism is the responsibility of the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. Most diabetics can produce insulin but various factors limit the hormone's efficiency, known as 'insulin sensitivity'. The release of adrenal hormones under stress can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels. Adrenaline causes sugar in the liver to be put into the blood stream and cortisol acts to reduce the metabolism of glucose by cells. Large amounts of cortisol act to decrease insulin sensitivity. High blood sugar levels are not dangerous in normally healthy individuals but chronic stress, combined with other factors such as obesity, act to increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. Ulcers are frequently associated with stress, although no conclusive link has yet been demonstrated. Normally the lining of the stomach is covered with a layer of mucus to protect it from the digestive acids and enzymes used