How stress affects your body - Sharon Horesh Bergquist

譯者: Ann Chen 審譯者: Max Chern

Cramming for a test?

為考試臨時抱佛腳？

Trying to get more done than you have time to do?

想在有限時間內完成更多的事？

Stress is a feeling we all experience when we are challenged or overwhelmed.

壓力是我們被挑戰時 或對事情應接不暇時的一種感覺

But more than just an emotion,

但它不僅是一種情緒而已

stress is a hardwired physical response that travels throughout your entire body.

壓力是一種與生俱有的 全身性生理反應

In the short term, stress can be advantageous,

短時間的壓力可能有好處

but when activated too often or too long,

但太常發生或發生時間太長

your primitive fight or flight stress response

你本能對付壓力 - 戰鬥或逃脫 - 的反應

not only changes your brain

不只是改變你的大腦

but also damages many of the other organs and cells throughout your body.

也會損傷你全身 許多其他器官及細胞

Your adrenal gland releases the stress hormones

你的腎上腺會釋出多種壓力賀爾蒙

cortisol, epinephrine, also known as adrenaline,

包括皮質醇、腎上腺素 -- 也就是眾所周知的 adrenalin

and norepinephrine.

及去甲腎上腺素 (norepinephrine)

As these hormones travel through your blood stream,

當這些賀爾蒙在血流運行

they easily reach your blood vessels and heart.

很容易就到達血管及心臟

Adrenaline causes your heart to beat faster

腎上腺素會使心跳加速

and raises your blood pressure, over time causing hypertension.

使血壓上升，久而久之就造成高血壓

Cortisol can also cause the endothelium, or inner lining of blood vessels,

皮質醇也會導致血管內皮細胞層 （血管最內層）

to not function normally.

不能正常運作

Scientists now know that this is an early step

科學家現在暸解

in triggering the process of atherosclerosis

這是一種引發動脈硬化

or cholesterol plaque build up in your arteries.

或動脈堆積膽固醇斑塊 的初始步驟

Together, these changes increase your chances of a heart attack or stroke.

綜合這些變化，會增加 心臟病發作或中風的機會

When your brain senses stress,

當大腦感受到壓力

it activates your autonomic nervous system.

它會激活自主神經系統

Through this network of nerve connections,

透過此神經連結的網絡

your big brain communicates stress to your enteric,

大腦會傳送壓力到腸道神經系統

or intestinal nervous system.

大腦會傳送壓力到 腸道神經系統

Besides causing butterflies in your stomach,

除了造成你忐忑不安外

this brain-gut connection can disturb the natural rhythmic contractions

這種腦 - 腸連結能擾亂

that move food through your gut,

運送食物通過腸子的 自然節律性收縮

leading to irritable bowel syndrome,

而導致激腸症候群

and can increase your gut sensitivity to acid,

並且增加腸道對酸的敏感性

making you more likely to feel heartburn.

使你更容易有胃灼熱感

Via the gut's nervous system,

透過腸道神經系統

stress can also change the composition and function of your gut bacteria,

壓力也能改變腸道 細菌的組成及功能

which may affect your digestive and overall health.

從而影響你的消化及整體健康

Speaking of digestion, does chronic stress affect your waistline?

談到消化機能， 慢性壓力會影響你的腰圍嗎？

Well, yes.

是的

Cortisol can increase your appetite.

皮質醇能增加你的食慾

It tells your body to replenish your energy stores

它會告訴身體，用高能量的食物和碳水化合物

with energy dense foods and carbs, causing you to crave comfort foods.

補充你的能量庫存， 使你渴望吃舒壓食物

High levels of cortisol can also cause you to put on those extra calories

高濃度皮質醇能使你 因那些額外的卡路里

as visceral or deep belly fat.

變成內臟或腹部深層脂肪而發胖

This type of fat doesn't just make it harder to button your pants.

這種脂肪不只是使 你的褲子紐扣難以扣上而已

It is an organ that actively releases hormones

它還可以自動釋放賀爾蒙

and immune system chemicals called cytokines

及一種免疫化學物質， 叫細胞激素 (cytokines)

that can increase your risk of developing chronic diseases,

從而增加發生慢性疾病的風險

such as heart disease and insulin resistance.

例如心臟病及胰島素抗性

Meanwhile, stress hormones affect immune cells in a variety of ways.

同時，壓力賀爾蒙 以多種方式影響免疫細胞

Initially, they help prepare to fight invaders and heal after injury,

起先，它們會協助對抗入侵者 及協助損傷後的修復

but chronic stress can dampen function of some immune cells,

但慢性壓力會 降低一些免疫細胞的功能

make you more susceptible to infections, and slow the rate you heal.

使你容易受到感染， 及減緩修復的速度

Want to live a long life?

想要長命百歲嗎？

You may have to curb your chronic stress.

你必須抑止你的慢性壓力

That's because it has even been associated with shortened telomeres,

那是因為它與端粒變短有關

the shoelace tip ends of chromosomes that measure a cell's age.

端粒位於染色體末端（狀如鞋帶尾端）， 用來測量細胞的年齡

Telomeres cap chromosomes

端粒覆蓋在染色體的末端

to allow DNA to get copied every time a cell divides

每當細胞分裂，讓 DNA 得以複製

without damaging the cell's genetic code,

而不損傷細胞的遺傳密碼

and they shorten with each cell division.

它們隨著每次細胞分裂而縮短

When telomeres become too short, a cell can no longer divide and it dies.

當端粒變得太短時， 細胞就無法分裂而死亡

As if all that weren't enough,

此外

chronic stress has even more ways it can sabotage your health,

慢性壓力甚至還有更多方式 來摧毀你的健康

including acne,

包括痤瘡

hair loss,

掉髮

sexual dysfunction,

性功能障礙

headaches,

頭痛

muscle tension,

肌肉緊張

difficulty concentrating,

專注困難

fatigue,

疲倦

and irritability.

及煩躁不安

So, what does all this mean for you?

所以，以上這些意謂著什麼？

Your life will always be filled with stressful situations.

生活總是處處充滿著壓力

But what matters to your brain and entire body

但對大腦及整個身體 重要的是

is how you respond to that stress.

你對壓力的反應如何？

If you can view those situations as challenges you can control and master,

假如你能把那些狀況視為 可以控制及駕馭的挑戰

rather than as threats that are insurmountable,

而不是當作難以承受的威脅

you will perform better in the short run and stay healthy in the long run.

短期來看，你會表現得比較好； 長期而言，你會活得比較健康。