Soldiers may also elect not to wear a combat patch. Controversies have arisen in recent years over brigade commanders' decisions to ban combat patches in certain situations. This has been done in an effort to make new recruits, who didn't have the patches, feel less excluded.
Cortisol functions to reduce inflammation in the body, which is good, but over time, these efforts to reduce inflammation also suppress the immune system. Chronic inflammation, caused by lifestyle factors such as poor diet and stress, helps to keep cortisol levels soaring, wreaking havoc on the immune system.
The effects of chronic stress on the immune system have been well studied. The hormone cortisol is released when our stress response is triggered â and cortisol acts to ignite the inflammation response â which brings us back to the pain in your joints. Itâs a circle which can be stopped.