Unemployment may drain immune function

The stress of unemployment may
dampen healthy people’s immune system function -- but the good
news is that finding a job can restore its fighting power,
according to a new study.

Past research has linked chronic stress to impaired immune
function and a higher risk of infection and other illness. But
little is known about what happens to the immune system when
the stress subsides.

In the new study, researchers at the University of
California San Francisco followed 100 employed and 100
unemployed adults between the ages of 29 and 45 for 4 months.

The employed subjects were matched to the unemployed
subjects for factors such as gender, age, race and education
level. Individuals with chronic conditions or on medical
treatments that could affect the immune system, smokers and
intravenous drug users had been excluded from the study.

Each month, the researchers collected blood samples from
the participants to measure levels of "natural killer" cells,
an indication of the strength of their immune system.

The researchers found that, in general, the unemployed
group had weaker natural-killer activity than the working
group. However, 25 percent of the unemployed participants found
jobs during the study period, and their natural killer cells
subsequently got back on track.

"We believe this is the first study in humans to document
immune function recovery after the definable end of a chronic
stressor," Dr. Frances Cohen and her colleagues report in the
journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

Chronic stress may impair immune function through its
effects on the nervous system, according to the researchers.
The adrenal glands release the hormone norepinephrine in
response to stress, and in the test tube, norepinephrine has
been shown to reduce natural killer cells.

But the current findings suggest that immune function is
"resilient" in the face of long-term stress and can quickly
recover once the stressor is gone, Cohen’s team points out.
Study participants’ immune system recovery began within the
first month of their new employment, the study found.

Further studies, according to Cohen’s team, should
investigate immune system recovery from different types of
stressors, and try to figure out how that comeback happens.

SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, April 2007.

Ways to Reduce Stress

Stress is a very common problem among people especially now a days with always being on the go and feeling that you never have enough time for everything you need to do. There are many things that can contribute to the amount of stress in your life. Pressure to meet expectations of others and those that you put on yourself. You may feel pressure to excel at work, get good grades if you are a student, contribute to the community, and be a good role model for others around you. Frustrations with obstacles that are keeping you from achieving goals or meeting your needs, frustrations can be both internal and external. Some internal frustrations could be the lack of a ability that you desire or a physical handicap. External frustrations can be things such as not being satisfied with your job, the lose of a loved one, marriage problems, or divorce. Other causes of stress include conflict, your personal surroundings, and life cycle transitions. You may battle with more than one cause of stress, I know I do personally. Now that we have identified causes of stress let’s talk about the symptoms.

There are many different symptoms of stress, which can effect you physically, emotionally, and your behavior. Physical symptoms include headaches, muscle aches, back pain, upset stomach, high blood pressure, sexual problems and many more. Emotional symptoms may include anxiety, depression, mood swings, guilt, a negative attitude, and insecurity. The effects stress has on your behavior can include over or under eating, excessive drinking, increased smoking, blaming others, and conflict in your relationships with others. For a full list of all the symptoms you can visit the following website www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-symptoms/SR00008_D

The first step in managing stress is determining what problem or problems are causing you stress. Once those have been determined it is a lot easier to reduce or manage your stress. You can try to eliminate or avoid the stressors. You may not always be able eliminate or avoid them, but if there are ones that you can than do it. For stressors that you may not be able to avoid you may want to try to shorten your exposure to the stress triggers if possible. You can learn to change your reaction to stress. Our reaction to stress can sometimes contribute to the problem. Changes that you can make include adopting a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle consists of eating a well balanced diet, not smoking, don’t consume alcohol excessively, exercising regularly. Here is a list of other things that you can do to reduce or eliminate stress and help promote a healthy lifestyle:

1. Change the way you think. Try not to expect others or yourself to be perfect and try facing problems with a more positive attitude.

2. Try deep breathing or meditation. Both deep breathing and meditation help promote relaxation. If you feel stressed just take a few minutes to stop and breathe deeply or meditate to cleanse you mind of the disturbing thoughts.

3. Put things in prospective. Don’t worry about everything at once. Make a list of priorities or things you find truly important and then leave some of the other things for another time or even day.

4. Take the time to slow down and relax . This can be through yoga, massage, deep breathing, or something else you may enjoy. Try setting aside at least 20 minutes a day for yourself and just relax.

5. Have some fun. A great way to relieve stress is taking some time out to enjoy life. Spend some time with people you care about and do something you enjoy. Things that you find enjoyable vary but can consist of traveling, gardening, sports, volunteer work, going to an amusement park or out to the movies.