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Hypertension
Published in Gia Merlo, Kathy Berra, Lifestyle Nursing, 2023
Matthew Petersen, Steven Brady, Eileen M. Handberg, Monica Aggarwal
Stress is detrimental to overall physical health and is becoming an increasingly identified contributor to the development of hypertension. Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to secrete large amounts of catecholamines, such as epinephrine, which cause systemic vasoconstriction and subsequently elevated BP (Kulkarni et al., 1998). We typically think of the sympathetic nervous system as the primary driver of the “fight or flight” response. Alternatively, the parasympathetic nervous system, primarily responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” functions, offsets the sympathetic nervous system by reducing levels of circulating catecholamines. With chronic stress, the human body is heavily shifted toward a sympathetic-predominant state, and over time this leads to chronically elevated levels of catecholamines and subsequently elevated BP (Aggarwal et al., 2017). Several techniques can reduce stress and allow the body to shift its autonomic balance in favor of the “rest and digest” phase.
What's Causing My Gut Symptoms?
Published in Melissa G. Hunt, Aaron T. Beck, Reclaim Your Life From IBS, 2022
Melissa G. Hunt, Aaron T. Beck
It’s easiest to think about the two halves of the ANS in terms of the processes they control. The parasympathetic nervous system helps us rest and digest. Sounds like a good thing! It’s responsible for managing lots of body processes that help us feel calm and at ease. This system is active when our brain tells us that everything’s going well, no emergencies need attending to, and we can devote our time and attention to eating, digesting, sleeping, and generally hanging around and feeling relaxed.
Ayurveda and COVID-19
Published in Srijan Goswami, Chiranjeeb Dey, COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, 2022
The parasympathetic nervous system is mainly the peacetime nervous system. It conserves energy and restores normalcy. The heart rate is slowed down, blood pressure is reduced, and the blood supply is directed to the digestive system. It ensures a proper supply of digestive juices like saliva, gastric juice, intestinal juices, and bile for digestion. Nutrition absorbed from digestion is taken to the liver for processing and then carried to all the organs. The parasympathetic system aids the functions of renovation, rejuvenation, and reconstruction. The parasympathetic nervous system uses acetylcholine as its neurotransmitter.
Perspectives of Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Interventions Among Women with Substance Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study
Published in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 2023
Eva Nowakowski-Sims, Stephen Ferrante
Meditation, a mindfulness practice, can stimulate mental awareness and emotional calmness. During meditation, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated introducing a relaxation response. In the relaxation response state, individuals evoke a quiet body and calm mind with concomitant physiological effects opposite to the stress response (Chang et al., 2010). Using meditation as an adjunct intervention for SUD involves teaching residents to “respond” to situations that may trigger use or rumination through present moment focus rather than acting or reacting in a habitual manner (Witkiewitz & Bowen, 2010). Bowen et al. (2009) found that participants who used a meditation-focused intervention had significantly fewer days of drug use as well as significant reductions in craving months after completion of treatment. Witkiewitz et al. (2013) investigated the effect of a meditation focused intervention compared to relapse prevention standard treatment among women offenders in residential substance use treatment and found the meditation group showed significantly fewer days of drug use compared to individuals assigned to relapse prevention.
Getting Well Is More Than Gaining Weight – Patients’ Experiences of a Treatment Program for Anorexia Nervosa Including Ear Acupuncture
Published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2020
Research has shown the effect of acupuncture on neurophysiological levels. Several neurotransmitters are released and thought to be involved in the long-term beneficial effect on stress, pain and anxiety by a modulation of the limbic and related systems in the brain, shown in brain imaging studies (Dhond, Kettner, & Napadow, 2007; Fang et al., 2009). An overview of ten systematic reviews (Li et al., 2019) concluded that acupuncture had effect in the treatment of anxiety, although the methodological quality of the studies was considered as low. A branch of the vagus nerve can be stimulated by ear acupuncture, providing somatic effects. As a part of the parasympathetic nervous system, such a stimulation can affect the gastrointestinal, respiratory, cardiovascular and endocrine system as well as the smooth muscles and blood vessels (He et al., 2012). Qualitative studies confirm experiences of ear acupuncture as a beneficial treatment in psychiatric care as reported from caregivers who appreciated acupuncture as a non-verbal tool. They perceived acupuncture to be a person-centred part of the treatment, relieving patients’ symptoms (Landgren et al., 2019). Ear acupuncture is considered a safe treatment with mild and transient side effects (Tan, Molassiotis, Wang, & Suen, 2014).
Psychophysiological measures of stress in caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review
Published in Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 2019
Ciara Padden, Carolina Concialdi-McGlynn, Sinead Lydon
Exposure to a physical or psychological stressor triggers the stress response,16 which leads to activation of two major systems, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis. The ANS is separated into two branches: the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for mobilizing the body for a fight-or-fight response, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which conserves energy and attempts to maintain homeostasis.16 The HPA-axis, which is responsible for neuroendocrine adaptation, also facilitates the fight-or-flight response and attempts to maintain homeostasis within the body.17 Homeostasis is the body’s process for maintaining optimal bodily functioning in response to environmental changes, in order to avoid damage; however, attempts to maintain homeostasis long-term as a result of chronic exposure to psychological stressors can lead to wear-and-tear, with potential for adverse effects such as fatigue, hypertension (i.e. blood pressure), cardiovascular disease, and damage to immune function.16