Common Health Problems Caused by Unhealthy Imbalance of Your Body
Common Health Problems Caused by Unhealthy Imbalance of Your Body
Because all body tissue is made of cells, the negative effects they undergo from an unhealthy imbalance can be found anywhere in the body. Here we look at some typical stress-related health problems but there are many more that are generated or influenced by upsetting the healthy balance of your body.
Skin: The skin is usually first to be affected by an imbalance, as it is the body’s extremity. Supplies of energy and nutrients have the furthest to travel in order to reach the skin, so it is more likely to be affected by blockages and lack of power in the body’s transportation system. Also, the skin has more continuous exposure to the outside world than any other system in the body so it gets a constant battering, making it harder to maintain healthy cells. The combination of these factors, and the fact that skin cells are constantly having to be renewed, means that skin problems are at the forefront of stress-related illness.
The first signs are poor skin quality, dullness in colour and black rings under the eyes. Over time, other problems emerge, such as dry and flaky skin, adult acne and cysts or red blotches or rashes. Stress skin conditions include cold sores, mouth ulcers, eczema, dermatitis and chilblains.
Muscles: Your muscles use a huge amount of energy so their cellular structure is particularly affected by prolonged and excessive use. Remember, it is not just the muscles you consciously control that are affected by power loss and wear and tear, it is also those internal muscles that power things like your digestive system. Lactic acid is the main toxin that builds up in the muscles and as crystals form and acids build up, your muscle cells will start to tire and burn up. This produces weak and sensitive muscles that are sore to touch. Not only does this make you feel physically weak but consider the effect on those unconscious internal muscles – they will also start to slow down and become dysfunctional, affecting their capability.
Bone: When your body is constantly under stress it becomes very acidic. One of the ways your body deals with acidity is to use calcium to neutralize it. Your kidneys utilize calcium to deal with these acids, as it condenses them into urine. However, the body must obtain this calcium from somewhere and if there isn’t enough in your diet, or there are high levels of acid in your system, the body will start to use the calcium in your bones. This means that your bones are being broken down to deal with a problem elsewhere in the body. Your bones are a cellular structure, like everything else, so they will still be affected by the usual cellular damage incurred from stress or poor diet but at the same time they are also being stripped of resources to deal with those problems. It’s hardly surprising then that skeletal problems can be a feature of an imbalanced system.
Glands and hormones: Dotted around inside the head and body are numerous glands that control the body’s coping mechanisms. By releasing hormones, they regulate numerous essential but diverse processes in the body, such as sleep, blood sugar, stress, sexual urges and immune responses. They are all made from cells and all supply on demand. The thyroid, for example, controls your metabolism. If your metabolic rate needs to rise because your body needs additional stimulation, then it will produce more thyroxine, the hormone that controls your metabolism, to give you the boost you need. This is a normal, healthy reaction. However, if your body is exposed to constant or extreme amounts of stress it will find it hard to keep up with the continual demand that results from having to keep your metabolism running on high, and it will begin to tire. As it is a cellular structure, it is also affected by the wear and tear caused by this continuous high stimulation, because it is being asked to increase production but is capable of less.
The problem of high demand but low capability is a common one throughout the body, and glands and their ability to regulate your body with hormonal production are no different. The adrenal glands that release the hormones required to trigger the stress response, such as adrenaline and Cortisol, can also burn out under extreme or prolonged pressure, as will the pancreas. The pancreas regulates blood sugar with the help of insulin. We have already seen how energy production affects the balance of glucose in our body and, if an imbalance occurs, the pancreas will be forced to work overtime. If this is maintained, it will start to tire and be unable to keep up the high levels of insulin production required, throwing your blood sugar levels all over the place. This results in massive energy fluctuations and, in the most serious cases, diabetes. Incidentally, the pancreas also supplies the gut with digestive juices, so a poorly performing pancreas can cause problems for other body systems. This is why you cannot isolate health problems – a problem anywhere in the body can have a knock-on effect over the whole body.