Effects Of Stress On The Body
By Andrew Riley
Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that one is required to give more than he or she is capable of giving personally and socially. Our body reacts to stress with physical, mental, and emotional responses.
Stress is part of our everyday life but if left unattended to, can cause severe damage to our body. While our body is designed to withstand stress up to a certain level, continuous stress without relief or relaxation can lead to numerous health problems. Researches have shown that one of the major contributors of disease in the human body is stress.
Effects of stress on the body
Studies have shown that stress affects the body’s immune system negatively causing the body to become more susceptible to a wide range of diseases and ailments. These ailments range from a simple cold to a much more deadly disease such as cancer. Do you know that 75-90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related diseases and ailments?
One of the most common complaints from over stress is headaches and migraines. These are one of the effects of stress on the body that you can see almost instantly from over stress but there are those that lay dormant and will show it’s ugly side a few years down the road. These are the one that are dangerous and can be fatal. Headaches caused by stress are involuntary contractions of the head, scalp and neck muscles. If this were to left unattended to for a long period of time, it can lead to muscle contractions not just to the head but to other internal organs; causing diarrhea, heartburn and hypertension.
Researchers have also found evidence that stress can lead to heart attack. Stress is shown to elevate blood pressure and after an extended period of time can trigger the release of high levels of clot-forming platelets. Platelets are small blood cells that form clots to stop bleeding and were found to be in high number when stress is induced. These platelets can sometimes clump together causing a blockage in the heart that prevents the blood from flowing in the heart.
Another effect of stress on the body is weight gain. When in stress, the survival instinct is triggered in our bodies, leading to the release of various hormones. One of these hormones is cortisol, a stress hormone. Too much cortisol can slow down your metabolism, causing more weight gain than you would normally experience. Studies have also shown that cravings tend to increase when in stress and over eating may result from it.
These are just some of the effects of stress on the body and you can be assured that there are a lot more then what were mentioned here! Stress can cause a wide variety of health issues and is an effective silent killer. While stress may sound like something really bad, under control, sometimes it can lead to increased productivity. This is where stress management plays a vital role in our everyday life. It can change stress from something dire to become a motivational agent.
To learn more about stress management, check out stressmanagementhaven.com. More stress management articles are available too.
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