How stress can impact disease

A previous study found that stress is a major cause of primary care visits. Yet, only 3 percent receive stress management assistance.

According to Philip Barr, MD (a board-certified integrative doctor and staff physician at Global Cardio Care Los Angeles), stress can affect most health conditions. Our nervous system is responsible for all the tissue in our bodies. He says that stress can cause tissue damage and make it more difficult to function properly if the nervous system is stressed.

Deep breathing can signal your body to relax

Lin says that stress can cause your sympathetic nervous system to be stimulated. This causes stress-related symptoms like faster breathing, increased heart rate elevation, anxiety, and elevated blood pressure. Lin says that this is part of the fight or flight response. She says that slowing down and deep breathing can counter the sympathetic nervous system.

Lin explains that deep breathing is a softening of the abdomen. He then suggests that you use your diaphragm to engage your diaphragm. Lin continues, “When you deep breathe, you are allowing your whole body to fill up with air.” You’re slowing down your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure, and relaxing the muscles.

Lin says that when you take a deep breath in, it triggers the vagus nerve in your body. StatPearls notes that the vagus nerve is located from the brain stem to your abdomen. It is the main component of the parasympathetic system which controls the body’s “rest-and-digest” activities. She says that you feel better and your ability to reason rationally returns.

Lin says that deep breathing, like exercise and meditation, is most effective if it is a daily habit. It can be helpful in the moment. I have seen patients with anxiety lower their blood pressure and heart beats by deep breathing for just one minute. She says that you’ll reap the greatest benefits if you do it regularly. “This will make your body more aware of what you’re doing and will allow it to be more responsive,” she says.

Are you ready to take a deep, slow breath and get in? Deep breathing has been shown to have benefits for many health conditions. These are just a few examples.

1. Lower blood pressure

Lin says that deep breathing can help lower blood pressure by up to 30 points for people with anxiety. Lin says that if they talk to them about anxiety-provoking things, their blood pressure will rise again.

Lin says consistency and consistent practice are key to achieving lasting health benefits, such as those for blood pressure.

Complementary Therapy Medicine published a review in July 2019. It reviewed 17 studies that involved 1,165 participants and found that slow breathing exercises resulted in small drops in blood pressure. These authors concluded that breathing exercises could be an effective first treatment for those with prehypertension and low-risk high bloodpressure, particularly those who are reluctant to use medication.

2. Patients with COPD and Asthma can have a better quality of life.

The non-pharmaceutical approach to helping people suffering from lung diseases such as COPD and asthma is breathing exercises.

According to a Cochrane review, March 2020, there isn’t any evidence that breathing exercises improve asthma symptoms.

The American Lung Association warns that deep breathing can be difficult. The group recommends that you start slowly and not try deep breathing immediately if you feel breathless.

3. Help manage symptoms of depression and anxiety

Chronic stress has been a growing problem since the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Bell says that it is now more common than ever. He says that chronic stress can cause a disruption in the normal breathing rhythm and lead to anxiety and other mental disorders.

Mindful breathing exercises can help people rebalance their breathing system. This can result in improvements in how they feel and think. He says that the more stressed we are, the more difficult it is to think clearly.

One small study, published in Frontiers in Psychology in June 2017, found that participants were exposed to 20 sessions of belly breath (another term used for diaphragmatic breathing). This resulted in significantly lower stress hormone levels and higher sustained attention rates over the eight-week period.

4. To help with headaches, reduce tension

Lin says that deep breathing and calming the sympathetic response can help to relax and reduce muscle tension. This may be helpful for a headache in several ways. This will help reduce tension in the neck and shoulders which can lead to headache pain. She says that if you are more relaxed, it will be easier to sleep better and help you feel better.”

Deep breathing won’t work in the middle or worst of a headache. However, it can be helpful to practice regularly, even if you aren’t feeling the headache coming on, and when used with acute and preventative medication.

5. You can get some relief from Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS).

Deep breathing can have digestive benefits, according to Megan Elizabeth Riehl (PsyD), a clinical assistant professor and health psychologist at University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor. She says that the physiological movements of diaphragms can relieve tension in the digestive tract, as well as help with constipation, diarrhea, urgency, and GERD (gastroesophageal acid disease).

Lin also agrees that deep breaths may be helpful because tension can affect good digestion.

One small study in Frontiers of Psychiatry published an April 2020 article on adults with IBS. It found that the intervention resulted in improvements in IBS symptoms, depression and quality-of-life.

6. Reduce the severity and number of hot flashes

According to Maturitas’ April 2017 study, high levels of cortisol (one of the fight or flight stress-related hormones) have been associated with hot flashes.

Some cancer treatments can cause hot flashes. As a nonhormonal option to reduce hot flashes, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center suggests deep breathing exercises.