We're hearing a lot of talk about the health risks associated with airborne PM10 particles, pollution and fumes. Residents are frightened, while at the same time, mineral extraction companies poo-poo those concerns as irrelevant. Whichever side of the fence you are arguing from, no-one can deny that the risks to residents respiratory health are low at this moment in time, as no earth has yet been moved in the name of gravel extraction on the MIN93 site.

All that may change however, and we may find ourselves facing a very real assault on our lungs, but for the time being, Pentneys residents are facing a more imminent and sinister health risk. I'm talking about STRESS.

Stress is a real and recognised medical condition. We suffer from low levels of stress every single day of our lives, and in most cases we have developed personal strategies for dealing with it, but occasionally something will happen that simply overwhelms us and renders our defences impotent - and that's when we get ill.

So what exactly is stress?
Well, stress is our body's way of dealing with dangerous or frightening situations. It's a direct result of the Fight Or Flight response that exists in all animals, including humans.
When we're exposed to danger, fear or anxiety, our bodies become flooded with the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Between them, they increase the heart rate, raise the blood pressure, boost energy supplies to our bloodstream, and increase the substances that repair tissues.
Cortisol also has some other interesting effects on the body. It dampens down the systems we don't need when we're running for our lives - our digestive, immune, reproductive and growth systems.

Once the danger has passed, the stress hormones decrease and everything gets back to normal. Which is fine, as long as the danger passes.
But when we're under pressure all the time, those stress hormones remain elevated in our bodies, causing long term damage to our health, and some very unpleasant symptoms.

Of course, it's not actual danger that releases these hormones into our bodies. It's our perception of events (how we think and feel about them) that actually causes the chemical and psychological responses.
In simple terms, this means that our bodies can release stress hormones as a result of fear, anxiety, fatigue, real danger, or even a misunderstood situation.
So, for example, spending eight months worrying about the noise, dirt and disruption of a potential quarry - the fear of an unknown outcome - anxiety about damage to your property and damage to your health - and the general feeling of not being in control of your own destiny are exactly the sort of factors that will cause the human body to release stress hormones.

Current medical opinion suggests that 96% of all illness in this country is either a direct result of stress, or greatly aggravated by it. The majority of people know what the basics of stress look like, but we often miss the more intricate workings of stress on the body and mind.
Some of the common symptoms of stress include irritability, anger, anxiety, depression, fatigue, headaches, stomachaches, hypertension, migraines, ulcers, heart conditions and colitis.
If it is left unchecked, stress can eventually lead to even more serious illness such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes or thyroid dysfunction.

So, what's the solution?
Well, as it happens, it couldn't be simpler.
To prevent stress and reverse its effects, you simply remove the source of danger or aggravation and the stress will evaporate with it.

Still not simple enough for you?
You take away the threat of a quarry in Pentney village. This will reduce the stress levels in the village, and will ultimately save lives.