WHY STRESS MAKES COLDS MORE LIKELY

CHRONIC STRESS MAKES
COLDS WORSE: WHAT TO DO

www.boston.com - Researchers have been swabbing noses with cold viruses for years, discovering that certain lifestyle factors - such as lack of sleep and stress - makes a person more susceptible to developing a runny nose, hacking cough, and all-over achy feeling. Now, a new study gives an explanation for why those under chronic stress are likely to get more frequent colds: The body’s reaction to the stress hormone cortisol becomes impaired when stress is prolonged, making cortisol unable to turn down the immune reaction that causes cold symptoms. In the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers asked 276 volunteers questions to determine if they were under chronic stress due to, say, unemployment, marriage troubles, or being a full-time caregiver to a sick loved one. They found those who scored high on the chronic stress scale were more likely to have severe cold symptoms after being infected with a virus compared to those who scored low on the scale.

Unfortunately, there may not be much you can do to avoid the curve balls that throw your life into a tailspin. But some research suggests that adopting certain lifestyle measures can help lower your body’s level of inflammation. These include eating a Mediterranean-style diet - rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, and fish - and getting moderate amounts of daily exercise, about 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Getting adequate amounts of sleep, about seven to eight hours every night, can also reduce inflammation, and you may want to remember to floss before bedtime. Practicing good dental hygiene can help reduce inflammation and swelling in the gums. Previous research has shown that those with gum disease have increased levels of inflammation elsewhere in their body. Meditation can also help reduce inflammation by lowering your body’s response to stress.

Most of us know from experience that stress weakens our immune system. Commonc colds always seem to strike when we're overworked or emotionally exhausted, as do eczema flare-ups, headaches, and a myriad of other health problems. Long ago, doctors confirmed that the connection between stress and health is real, but now they are able to fully explain it.  Psychological stress weaken our body and we are more likely to develop illnesses, so why don't try to find calm through Yoga Asanas and Pranayana?

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Yoga prescribes physical, mental and spiritual disciplines which will free one from mental and physical diseases. ... Asana -”bodily postures”: This process of various exercises and bodily postures brings physical and mental steadiness as well as health and vigor.  Pranayama - “control of breath”.  Prana means life air and yama means to control.  It involves controlling the inhalation, exhalation and the retention of the air we breathe. ... Yoga practices are also meant for the holistic upliftment of mind, body and spirit.  By regularly practicing Yoga, Pranayana (breathing exercises) and by maintaining a natural life style in one’s eating, resting, work, etc., a person can be fully relaxed and free from tension and anxiety.  When a person maintains these practices properly, he or she will be free from heart diseases and mental anxiety.

TT.D. Singh, Ph.D. - Śrīla Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Mahārāja :
“Science and Religion - Present and Future” - “Yoga”
Bhaktivedanta Institute - http://www.scienceandscientist.org/
http://www.bhaktisvarupadamodara.com/lang1/pg002.html
http://www.krishnascience.com  -  http://www.bhaktisvarupadamodara.com/