It is a well known fact now that stress and health are closely related - that is, if you are stressed out most of the time you are probably going to be in poor health. The stress and health syndrome becomes apparent in people who exist in a persistent stressed-out condition. These same people are more likely to start smoking, abuse alcohol and dabble in other drugs that negatively affect their health.
Many people who are perpetually stressed also have eating disorders and don't get enough physical exercise. The medical community agrees that stress and health have a direct correlation with the development of coronary artery diseases.
Research has proven that stress and health in some individuals can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart palpitations, heart attacks and strokes. Stress impedes the processing and clearance of certain fats, mostly low-density lipoproteins, which are known as the “bad” form of cholesterol, and their accumulation puts people at risk of developing atherosclerosis (or arteriosclerosis) and other heart diseases.
Stress and health conditions can also impart a malaise on people. They feel tired, moody, their body aches, their head hurts and when the stress is ratcheted up their blood pressure can soar and their heart pounds at an abnormal rate. They feel tense and have an acute sense that they don't have control of their life, whether it is their family life, their life at work or their personal life.
Major stress can also suddenly trigger our body's response to what may seemingly be a threat or danger; this is called the “Fight-or-Flight” response. During this reaction, certain hormones like adrenalin and cortisol are released, speeding the heart rate, slowing digestion and forcing blood flow to major muscle groups. This gives a person a surge of energy that was once needed for survival. Unfortunately you don't require that when you are stressed at work or are stuck in traffic. Once this response happens it is difficult for the body to manage it, so the stress continues and the damage to your health continues.
There are many people that rely on herbal pills or treatments to relieve their stress and health conditions because of the side effects associated with the prescribed medications. Medications such as Prozac, Xanax (Alprazolam), and Valium to name a few have known side effects such as dizziness, confusion, irregular heartbeat and fatigue among others. This obviously drives many people away from these drugs.
Herbal remedies aren't known to make people suffer through these terrible side effects. Some herbal stress relievers include Magnolia and Phellodendron bark, kava kava, valerian root, lemon balm extract, and skullcap and many others. You can research these ingredients on the web and speak with your doctor about them. If you don't want the prospect of negative side effects, then herbal treatments could be right for you.