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Shock is a condition experienced when the body fails to deliver enough oxygen to its cells. What if I told you chronic stress works the same way?
Shock (Cardiogenic)
Part 1: Compensation
Before I explain what I mean, let’s break down the condition of shock in depth.
Shock is a manifestation of circulatory failure where your body’s distribution of oxygen and nutrients to cells through blood is insufficient 4for homeostasis—a balanced internal environment. This state is usually caused by severe bleeding, bloodstream infections, heart damage/failure, or blood clots, all of which can seriously impair your body’s blood flow. There are three main stages of shock: compensated shock, decompensated shock, and irreversible shock.
Compensated shock is the mutable, least harmful stage of shock, but it is also the most deceiving; when your body senses a decrease in blood distribution, it activates multiple systems, including the sympathetic nervous system, to increase heart rate and narrow blood vessels. Because of these compensatory mechanisms, blood pressure appears to be normal. Hence, compensated shock is easily ignored, even if there is internal discomfort.
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In decompensated shock and irreversible shock, however, the pain and damage in the body is no longer acute. Eventually, your body—due to lack of energy from aerobic respiration—can no longer sustain the intensity of the compensatory mechanisms. Global hypoperfusion (cells’ deprivation of oxygen) leads to significantly less energy which leads to gradually malfunctional cells. In irreversible shock, cells explode and release acid that slowly destroys your body’s internal structure, and the body enters Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), leading to death.
Now, let’s briefly discuss chronic stress. Chronic stress is a consistent, long-term feeling of being overwhelmed and pressured. Stress releases hormones like cortisol into the body that might help short-term but that drain and seriously damage the body long-term.
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So, hopefully you’ve already noticed some similarities between shock and stress, but here’s a true explanation of my opening sentence:
Just as shock starts as dangerous but unnoticeable, chronic stress—early on—is draining but ignorable. However, both shock and stress progress to conditions that are visibly harmful—-shock through abnormal blood pressure and pain, and stress through brain fog and lack of focus.
But most importantly, although both shock and stress are almost always initially ignored, they become hidden detriments that lead directly to deadly cascades of failure when unaddressed…
To be continued :)
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