Tag Archives: Stress Effects

Stress: Symptoms, Causes and Managing | Fullerton, CA

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As we get ready to begin a whole new year, we tend to take stock on things we’d like to change and improve upon. One of the main causes of lots of health issues comes from stress that we carry in our lives. Financial issues, problems at work or home, health problems and social isolation are just some of the major factors that lead to stress in our lives. It is a crazy world we live in, but we need to find ways to curtail our stress levels in order to keep ourselves healthy for the year ahead. Here are some common symptoms of stress:

  • Headaches
  • Backaches
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Recurring nightmares
  • Irritability
  • Loss of concentration

Chronic stress is believed to raise the risk of increased blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic back pain, depression and a reduced immune response. If you find that you are getting stressed on a frequent basis, try some of these ideas:

  • Discuss your symptoms and your feelings about them.
  • Keep a diary to gain insight into your concerns and emotional patterns.
  • Exercise regularly engaging in both aerobic and weight training.
  • Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation deep breathing exercises.
  • Maintain your immune system by eating well balanced meals, exercising regularly and getting sufficient sleep.
  • Avoid destructive behaviors, including overindulgence of alcohol, caffeine or smoking.

Seek professional help if any of your symptoms persist, interfering with your sense of wellbeing and/or your personal/work relationships. You may be prescribed a medication based on your particular symptoms:

Recurrent acute anxiety (episodic anxiety): Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), or Alprazolin (Xanax).

Depression: Selective serotoninuptake inhibitors: Fluoxetin (Prozac), or Paroxetine (Paxil) or other antidepressant medication.

Insomnia: Zaleplon (Sonata), Zolpiden (Ambien) or Temazapan (Restoril).

If you would like more information about dealing with stress, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD at 714-912-2211 or visit www.gordongunnmd.com to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gunn proudly serves Fullerton and all surrounding areas.

It’s a New Year. Relax. | Fullerton, CA

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Now that we are done with the holiday season and well into a new year, it is time to start assessing our lifestyle choices and make some changes to how we live our lives. One of the ways we can do this is to lower our stress levels. Because it’s tough to admit, but our lives have become more stressful as we age, and this stress can lead to illnesses as a result. Chronic stress is believed to raise the risk of increased blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic back pain, depression and a reduced immune response. This is why it is imperative to notice signals our bodies are telling us.

Understanding your current state of wellness improves your knowledge, helps you set goals and empowers you to make better choices for a healthier life. Here are some basics you need to know about stress and how to deal with it:

First, the symptoms:

  • Headaches
  • Backaches
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Recurring nightmares
  • Irritability
  • Loss of concentration

Here are some causes. Do any look familiar?

  • Health problems
  • Financial concerns
  • Communication issues at work and home
  • Social isolation

Effective steps for dealing with stress:

  • Discuss your symptoms and your feelings about them
  • Keep a diary to gain insight into your concerns and emotional patterns
  • Exercise regularly engaging in both aerobic and weight training
  • Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation deep breathing exercises
  • Maintain your immune system by eating well balanced meals, exercising regularly and getting sufficient sleep
  • Avoid destructive behaviors, including overindulgence of alcohol, caffeine or smoking
  • Seek professional help if any of your symptoms persist, interfering with your sense of well-being and/or your personal/work relationships
  • Medications

If you would like more information on stress, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD at 714-912-2211 or visit www.gordongunnmd.com to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Fullerton and all surrounding areas.

Diamonds Are Made Under Lots of Pressure | Fullerton, CA

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Heart HealthHigh blood pressure, or hypertension, currently affects 1 out of every 3 American adults. High blood pressure often has no signs or symptoms and is therefore called the “silent killer” as it is one of the most important factors leading to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, kidney disease and early death. Here are some steps that can help to lower your blood pressure:

Monitor blood pressure. This will result in the most accurate assessment of your blood pressure.

Regular exercise. Keeping active improves blood vessel flexibility and heart function. It can be as simple as walking regularly and may decrease blood pressure by 10 points.

Eat well. The American Heart Association recommends the ‘Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension’ (DASH) diet. This diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts.

Lose weight. Losing even 10% of your current weight can make a big difference.

Quit smoking. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and can cause a 20 -point increase in blood pressure.

Drink alcohol in moderation. One drink a day for women may be good for the heart and blood vessels.

Limit salt intake. Too much sodium and too little potassium can increase blood pressure, so aim for less the 1.5 grams of sodium and more than 4.7 grams daily.

Sleep at least 6-8 hours a night. Chronic sleep deprivation can contribute to high blood pressure and increased chance of developing heart disease.

Reduce stress. Mental and emotional stress can increase blood pressure while meditation, deep breathing and other stress-reducing activities can lower it.

Take prescribed blood pressure medication. Taking blood pressure pills should not make you feel differently and can keep you from having a stroke or heart attack.

If you would like more information on high blood pressure, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD at 714-912-2211 or visit www.gordongunnmd.com to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Fullerton and all surrounding areas.

Improve Your Life One Goal at a Time | Fullerton, CA

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We are our own worst critics. We are all guilty of having many areas of our lives that we would like to improve upon, and all improvement requires hard work and motivation. In walks the month of September…

September marks National Self-Improvement Month, a month to take the time to improve aspects that may be holding you back from being a happier and healthy version of yourself. Try these tips:

Get physical. Physical activity is very important to your overall health. Focus on whether you want to lose weight, boost your energy level, or just cut your salt intake, and set a goal to do so. If you have a certain fitness goal, create a realistic plan that you’ll be able to stick to for the long haul.

Eat a healthy diet. When you eat healthy food, you’re getting the nutrition your body requires. Evaluate your diet and see if there are any eating habits that need improvement. A few small changes in your diet can affect your health and the way you feel about yourself.

Take time to de-stress. Stress can take a major toll on your health and mentality. Be sure that you take some time to yourself by scheduling a designated day each month to take time to do something that you enjoy.

National Self-Improvement Month is the perfect time for you to take step back to evaluate yourself, find the areas you wish to improve and get motivated to take back control of your life.

If you would like more information on high blood pressure, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD in Fullerton, CA at 714-912-2211 to schedule an appointment today. Or visit www.gordongunnmd.com for additional information regarding women’s health. 

Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Buena Park, La Mirada, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Walnut and all surrounding Orange County areas.

Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check Naturally | Fullerton, CA

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Heart Healthy

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, you may be required to take medication to lower your numbers. But there are other ways you can go about doing so in a much more natural way with these at home remedies:

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight is tough on your heart and can also cause sleep apnea (disruptive breathing while asleep), which can further raise one’s blood pressure. Losing just 10 pounds can reduce your blood pressure immensely.

Exercise on a regular basis. Physical activity, like walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and dancing, can help you avoid it turning into full-blown hypertension.

Eat a healthy diet. Consuming a diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy can help lower your blood pressure. Be sure to avoid foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, as these foods can increase blood pressure.

Be smart with your salt intake. The effect of sodium intake varies among different groups of people. To decrease your sodium intake you can read food labels, eat fewer processed foods and avoid adding salt to meals.

Reduce your stress. Chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, as well as occasional stress, if it leads you to eating unhealthy foods, drinking alcohol or smoking. To reduce your stress levels, you should take some time to think about what is causing your stress in the first place. Once you figure out what is causing your stress, think about how you can eliminate or reduce it.

If you would like more information on high blood pressure, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD in Fullerton, CA at 714-912-2211 to schedule an appointment today. Or visit www.gordongunnmd.com for additional information regarding women’s health. 

Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Buena Park, La Mirada, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Walnut and all surrounding Orange County areas.

Maintain Your Heart Health at Any Age | Fullerton, CA

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We all want to look and feel our best at every age, which is why it’s important that we make smart lifestyle and health choices. There are many simple things women can do every day to help ensure good health throughout their lifetime:

Eat a healthy diet. You want to eat as many natural foods as possible, including fresh fruits and vegetables and less processed foods.  Eat whole grains and high-fiber foods, also choose leaner meat and fish.

Exercise. Exercise can help keep your heart healthy and in good working condition. To ensure good heart health, work out for 30 minutes, five days a week or every day.

Manage stress. A woman often deals with a lot of pressure and stress. Professionals encourage women to take a few minutes from her day to take a step back and relax. Mental health is very important to women’s health.

Avoid harmful habits. Women should stay away from tobacco products and people who smoke. Don’t use any drugs. If you do drink alcohol, drink it in moderation.

Sunbathe safely. Too much exposure to the sun’s rays can cause skin cancer, so wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPH) of at least 15 if you are going to be outdoors.

Check for breast cancer. You should keep an eye out for changes in your breasts and report your concerns to your doctors. Women 40 years of age of and over should get yearly mammograms to check for breast cancer in its earliest stages.

If you would like more information on heart health, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD in Fullerton, CA at 714-912-2211 to schedule an appointment today. Or visit www.gordongunnmd.com for additional information regarding women’s health. 

Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Buena Park, La Mirada, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Walnut and all surrounding Orange County areas.

Stress Just Isn’t Healthy for You | Fullerton, CA

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Now that we have begun another year, it’s time to re-evaluate our current health practices. Not only does this include your diet and fitness routines, but every aspect of your lifestyle. Your overall wellness is a dynamic process that changes with age and circumstance. Understanding your current state of wellness improves your knowledge, helps you set goals and empowers you to make better choices for a healthier life.

We all think stress is a typical part of life we cannot avoid, but stress can greatly affect your wellness. Understanding more about stress and how to limit your stress can help lead you to a path of wellness. Investigating symptoms of stress. Chronic stress is believed to raise the risk of increased blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic back pain, depression and a reduced immune response.

Common symptoms of stress:

  • Headaches
  • Backaches
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Recurring nightmares
  • Irritability
  • Loss of concentration

Effective steps for dealing with stress:

  • Discuss your symptoms and your feelings about them
  • Keep a diary to gain insight into your concerns and emotional patterns
  • Exercise regularly engaging in both aerobic and weight training
  • Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation deep breathing exercises
  • Maintain your immune system by eating well balanced meals, exercising regularly and
  • getting sufficient sleep
  • Avoid destructive behaviors, including overindulgence of alcohol, caffeine or smoking
  • Seek professional help if any of your symptoms persist, interfering with your sense of well-being and/or your personal/work relationships.
  • Medications

If you would like to take the first step towards a stress-free lifestyle, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn MD in Fullerton, CA at 714-912-2211 to schedule an appointment today. Or visit www.gordongunnmd.com for additional information regarding women’s health. 

Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Buena Park, La Mirada, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Walnut and all surrounding Orange County areas.

National Stress Awareness Month

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Every April since 1992, National Stress Awareness Month has been observed. This national month is held to raise public awareness about both the causes and cures for stress.

Life is full of stress, and I’m sure every one of us has no doubt experienced some type of stressful situation within our lifetime. Whether it be a bad day at work or worry over debt, stress affects us all, and in different ways at that. In fact, if you suffer from long term stress it can lead to many illnesses, ranging from depression to heart disease. Fortunately, by understanding the connection between the mind, stress and health, one can better manage stress and improve their overall health and well-being.

Fight or Flight Response

The sympathetic stress response, commonly known as the fight or flight response, is a physiological reaction that’s essentially “hard wired” into our nervous systems. This reaction is necessary mobilizing quick reflexes when there is immediate danger, such as having to swerve to avoid a car accident.

When your body perceives a threat, stress hormones are rushed into your bloodstream, thus increasing your heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels. Other hormones can also suppress functions like digestion and immune system, being one of the many reasons why chronic stress can leave you susceptible to illness.

While danger triggers the stress response, unfortunately, so can things such as conflict at work, money problems, bad memories and anxiety. Although, one bad day won’t compromise your health, weeks and months of stress can weaken your immune system and raise your risk for disease.

Take Action against Stress

If you’re suffering from chronic stress and can’t change the situation causing it, then you may need to change your approach. Keep in mind, you do have the ability to choose your response to stressors, and you may have to try many options.

  • Realize when you don’t have control over something, and let it go.
  • Try not to get anxious about situations you can’t change.
  • Take control of your reactions, and try to focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.
  • Develop goals for healthy living, wellness, personal/professional growth. Be sure to set realistic goals.

Take Time for Yourself

Make time to relax and recharge so you’ll be able to handle the stressors life throws your way. Take some time from your day to take care of yourself, even if it’s only for 10 to 15 minutes. Everyone has their own ideas of what helps them unwind. The following are a few ideas that may help you relax:

  • Take a walk
  • Go for a run or jog
  • Have a hot cup of tea
  • Play a sport of your choosing
  • Spend time with family or friends
  • Meditate
  • Do some yoga

Stress can occur at any moment, and while you can’t completely avoid it, you can learn to minimize and better cope with it by changing the way you choose to respond to it.

To celebrate National Stress Awareness Month, start implementing these healthy habits into your life today. Don’t let stress stand in the way of having a wonderful day, every day.

If you would like more information on how stress can affect your heart health, contact Dr. Gordon Gunn in Fullerton, CA at 714-912-2211 or visit www.gordongunnmd.com.

Dr. Gordon Gunn proudly serves Buena Park, La Mirada, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Walnut and all surrounding areas.

7 Ways Stress Affects Women’s Health | Fullerton, CA

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Did you know that stress affects men and women differently? Women are actually more deeply affected by the emotional and physical effects of stress than men are. When the body reacts to stress it releases hormones that cause slowed digestion, blood pressure to rise and the heart starts pumping more blood to the muscles, which in turn increases energy and alertness. This is a very important function for people when dealing with situations that require you to act fast.

The problem with calling upon these hormones to often is, that the hormones will eventually wear down the body if stressors are affecting you frequently. The following list includes both physiological and emotional effects stress has on women’s health:

  • Irregular Periods– Stress can essentially mess with your body’s hormone balance, which in turn can lead to missed, late or irregular periods.
  • Acne Breakouts– Stress causes raised levels of the hormone cortisol in the body that can cause excess oil production that will lead to breakouts. In some people it can also cause itchy rashes or hives.
  • Depression- Your emotional health suffers when stress have in your life. Experts say that women are more likely to experience depression than men.
  • Heart Disease- Stress can cause a negative reaction affecting the whole cardio vascular system. This can lead to high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
  • Lowered Immune System- You body’s immune system can be wreaked by stress which lessens your ability to fight off common colds or viruses.
  • Weight Gain or Loss– Stress can make you reach for comfort foods, or make you so upset you can’t eat. The more common stress related issues are cramps, bloating, heartburn, and sometimes even irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Problems Concentrating– When you are stressing out it makes it very difficult to focus and taking care of responsibilities at home or work.

Don’t forget it’s very important to your health that you unwind every once in a while, and not let stress consume you and affect your health. For more information regarding women’s health, contact Dr. Gordon C. Gunn, MD in Fullerton, CA at 714-912-2211 or visit www.gordongunnmd.com for more information.

Dr. Gordon C. Gunn also proudly serves Buena Park, La Mirada, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, Walnut and all surrounding areas.