Chronic Stress: The #1 Source of Illness

Why should chronic stress concern me?
Chronic stress can cause the breakdown of the body's hormone, immune, digestive and detoxification metabolic systems. The key to discovering the cause of illness is an accurate diagnosis of the sources and impact of chronic stress. There is a difference between occasional stresses that we may be exposed to and those stresses that become chronic in nature and repeat over and over and over again, day in and day out.

Seen versus Unseen Stressors (Refer to "Chronic Stress Response™" diagram)
There are two general categories of stressors, "seen" or clinical stressors and "unseen" or sub-clinical stressors. Seen stressors are typically associated with lifestyle factors and have to do with internalization of mental/emotional stress, blood sugar control, exercise, rest and recovery. These lifestyle factors can become sources of chronic stress. Usually they are easily identifiable by observing a person's habits.

Unseen or sub-clinical physiological stressors represent the rest of the sources for chronic stress. There is some overlap between clinical and sub-clinical physiological/biochemical stressors. The following list of potential sources of chronic stress will give you a good overview of the areas to consider relative to diagnosing the underlying cause or causes of health problems including chronic degenerative diseases such as autoimmune, cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as depression, insomnia, allergies, fatigue, etc. Regardless of the clinical conditions and/or symptoms, this list will help you to understand where to look to investigate the stress or stressor that could be chronic in nature thus resulting in an ongoing chronic stress response that ultimately results in hormone, immune and metabolic breakdown.

As you can see, many potential chronic stressors (especially those highlighted) can occur sub-clinically (without noticeable symptoms). If the source(s) of chronic stress are not diagnosed and treated, optimal health cannot be restored. It is crucial to do appropriate functional diagnostic testing to rule in/out sub-clinical physiological processes as potential sources of chronic stress.

Highlighted Laboratory Tests to Assess Specific Categories of Chronic Stress
Gastrointestinal Infections can be detected using microbiology (stool samples) and serology (measuring serum antibody production to various infectious agents). Microbiology and serology are often used together and then correlated with symptoms to maximize detection of infections. The tests listed below are used to rule in/out common GI infections (refer to Technical Bulletins for individual tests).

1. BHD #401 GI Pathogen Screen (stool test includes ova and parasites x 4 vials (trichrome stain); antigen tests x 1 vial for Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum and Entamoeba histolytica; Bacteria, fungi, yeasts, occult blood, Clostridium difficile: Colitis toxins A & B)
2. BHD #418 Helicobacter pylori Stool Antigen (detects the presence of H. pylori antigen (protein fragments) in stool)

Gluten Intolerance whether clinical (manifesting as celiac sprue disease) or sub-clinical is a significant source of chronic stress for many people. Sub-clinical gluten intolerance is of particular concern because of the destruction done to the topography of the small intestine and resultant maldigestion and malabsorption, with no overt GI symptoms. The test detailed below examines both mucosal and humoral antibodies to detect Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy (refer to Technical Bulletin).

1. BHD #230 Celiac/Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy Panel (uses saliva and serum to examine the mucosal and humoral immune responses to gliadin - the mucotoxic peptide fraction of gluten - measures salivary IgA to gliadin, total salivary sIgA and serum IgA & IgG to gliadin, serum IgA to transglutaminase and total serum IgA)

Toxic Heavy Metals can be extremely damaging to health and a significant source of chronic stress. They act by displacing important minerals in critical metabolic processes within the body. They wreak havoc on the body's defenses against free radicals and the body's detoxification systems, setting the stage for a variety of degenerative diseases including cancer, autoimmune and cardiovascular disease. Identifying elevated antibodies to a particular metal qualifies that metal as a source of chronic stress.

Toxic Chemicals can be extremely damaging to health and a significant source of chronic stress. They can create significant oxidative stress and free radical damage in the body. They can also disrupt DNA replication, leading to the growth of aberrant cells and ultimately cancer. Identifying elevated antibodies to a particular chemical qualifies that chemical as a source of chronic stress.

Viruses can be extremely damaging to health and a significant source of chronic stress. They are infectious particles that use the machinery of a host's cells to reproduce. Often held in check by the immune system until the host is weaken by another infection or toxic exposure, opportunistic viruses can become a significant source of chronic stress as a secondary pathology.

Molds and Mycotoxins can be extremely damaging to health and a significant source of chronic stress. Molds can be immunosuppressive, mitogenic and pro-inflammatory in humans. Under certain metabolic conditions, many molds produce particular mycotoxins, natural organic compounds that initiate a toxic response in humans.

Oral Infections can be extremely damaging to health and a significant source of chronic stress. They are often a "hidden" cause of chronic stress and can occur for a variety of reasons including root canals and improperly completed dental work. Elevated antibody levels to any or all oral bacteria warrant further investigation by a biological dentist as active oral infections have been correlated with cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions, gum disease both clinical and sub-clinical, mucosal barrier breakdown and excessive dental plaque.

Hormone Response to Chronic Stress
Pregnenolone steal (AKA cortisol escape) is the body's hormone response to stress and is the preferential pathway when the body is in a state of chronic stress. (Refer to the "Steroidal Hormone Principal Pathways" diagram.) Pregnenolone, the precursor to all the steroidal hormones, is diverted to the stress hormones, cortisol and cortisone, when the body is under chronic stress. Pregnenolone is diverted from other down line hormones resulting in imbalances and deficiencies of all of the other steroidal hormones.

The length of time that a person has been in a chronic stress response will determine their risk for serious illness and degenerative disease. Any number of health problems can develop if this condition persists, including: cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease and many other conditions and/or symptoms.