Stress is actually a whole lot more. Everything that goes in on your



emotions, your head, and your thoughts actually physically affects you.

A person who is stressed is almost certainly a person who feels under

the weather constantly, and is not aware of the root causes.

Being stressed runs down your immune system, and when you get

stressed your body tenses up, getting ready for a wound, a cut, or a

bite. This tension also restricts blood flow and energy causing you to

be constantly tired. The worst stresses - those horrible ones that seem

beyond your control or seem like they're never going to end - result in

every single area of your immunity being suppressed and your immune

system function to drop significantly in all parts of your body.

Your prostate relies on tiny blood vessels for nutrition and cleansing

and when that blood flow is restricted it fails to function correctly.

These effects can be damaging and set you on a course to developing

a prostate problem, or making one you already have even worse.

One clinical trial of more than 300 men, found that high stress levels

are associated with elevated PSA readings. Prostate-specific antigen

(PSA) is produced by the prostate so obviously the higher the reading,

the larger the prosate. Not good for you!! Another study conducted at

a US university, looked at the relationship between stress and prostatitis

in rats. This research found that even mild stress produced increased

inflammation of the prostate. Conversely, inflammation diminished in the

rats not placed under stress.

At the next level above prostate problems, a May 1998 issue of Cancer

magazine reported that among men with prostate disease, anxiety and

depression were very common. They noted that 80% of prostate disease

occurs in men over 65 years of age and though the prostate was also

physically enlarging at this time, this group was experiencing a higher than

normal number of stresses. These were age-related, loss of a spouse,

retirement and friends or other family members passing away.

Physically, when you feel positive emotions like love or acceptance,

happy hormones are released into your bloodstream, giving you a feeling

of well-being and 'on-top-of-thew-world'. The opposite is also true

though, putting you into that tensed fight or flight mode which is completely

instinctive.

Your ability to deal with stress varies immensely from anyone else you

know. A little stress is good, otherwise you'll go senile, but you will have

to find out for yourself, (or you should know be now) what stress makes

you perform better, and what causes you to crumple.

If you have trouble dealing with stress, you should consider getting rid

of negative people from your life, the people that cause you problems

and stress. Choose your friends carefully, surround yourself with people

who you can trust and make you feel good. If you can, avoid dealing

with people you stress you out.

In regards to the physical stresses, take note that tight underpants and

trousers can restrict the flow of blood to the groin and restrict body

movement, leading to tight muscles. Your testicles need to be free to

regulate their temperature by raising or lowering themselves, something

they cannot do if they are held firmly in place. Instead, go for loose pants

and boxer shorts.

If you are spiritually minded then mediate on the Bible or anything else

you consider appropriate. This helps you to be calm and have your

life more centered. If you are not, then consider doing yoga, or something

slow and relaxing that clears the mind and relaxes the body. Just find

something, de-stress yourself and it's one more little thing towards the

end goal of a better prostate for life.