Consequences of stress

It’s common to feel stressed sometimes — but chronic stress can lead to health issues such as heart, muscle, and gut problems. You likely experience some form of stress on a daily basis, whether it’s sitting in traffic, trying to find lost car keys, or rushing to meet a work deadline. As frustrating as these moments can be, they typically pass quickly and you can move on with your day. If That said, there are many coping methods to help you manage stress, promoting calm and even reversing the negative impacts of stress. The stress response occurs when your body goes into When you’re in a situation your body perceives as threatening, your brain and body move into a stress response and work hard to keep you safe. Your body responds in the same way when you’re consistently stressed. Here’s how long-term stress Cardiovascular system Stress can cause your heart to beat faster and your body to release adrenaline, noradrenaline, and If these bodily responses occur regularly, you may have a higher chance of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or high blood pressure. Nervous system When you’re stressed, your Chronic stress can cause continuous activation of both systems, which can be draining on your body. Endocrine system In stressful situations, your adrenal glands produce more cortisol. Over time, this can cause fatigue, depression, or issues with your immune system. Musculoskeletal system When your body’s stress response kicks into gear, your muscles tense. Under chronic stres...

Stress triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. Chronic stress can cause negative health effects on your mood, immune and digestive systems, and cardiovascular health. You’re sitting in traffic, late for an important meeting, watching the minutes tick away. Your hypothalamus, a tiny control tower in your brain, decides to send out the order: Send in the stress hormones! These stress hormones are the same ones that trigger your body’s “fight or flight” response. Your heart races, your breath quickens, and your muscles ready for action. This response was designed to protect your body in an emergency by preparing you to react quickly. But when the stress response keeps firing, day after day, it could put your health at serious risk. Share on Pinterest Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences. Everyone expresses Yet if your stress response doesn’t stop firing, and these stress levels stay elevated far longer than is necessary for survival, it can take a toll on your health. Chronic stress can cause a variety of symptoms and • irritability • anxiety • depression • headaches • insomnia Your central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your “fight or flight” response. In your brain, the hypothalamus gets the ball rolling, telling your adrenal glands to release the stress hormones adrenaline and When the perceived fear is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal. If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor do...

Everyone experiences stress from time to time. When it becomes chronic, it can affect your mental health. While we all feel stress from time to time, when it’s long lasting or chronic, it may begin to affect our mental health. When Though stress can be challenging to deal with, many things are within your control to help minimize and manage stress. Stress can cause psychological and emotional distress. When it becomes chronic, it can increase your risk for Experiencing long-term stressful situations, like Chronic stress can have negative effects on your body and mind and create a multitude of unpleasant Mental health conditions that may be linked to stress include: • anxiety • depression • substance use difficulties • sleep issues • chronic pain How do our bodies respond to stress and why does chronic stress often lead to some mental health conditions? Scientists have started to find biological answers. Within seconds of perceiving a stressor, the brain signals When facing danger, the body engages the A Stress can also be associated with changes in your gut, which can also influence your mood. Chronic stress can also make it harder to get pregnant and dampen sex drive. All of those physical symptoms can lead to increase stress. What causes stress for one person may be different for another. Stress often happens if you feel high pressure or are trying to meet a deadline. It can also arise if there’s a threat to your health or relationships, or if you don’t have enough resou...

• Frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain • Gritting, grinding teeth • Stuttering or stammering • Tremors, trembling of lips, hands • Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms • Light headedness, faintness, dizziness • Ringing, buzzing or “popping sounds • Frequent blushing, sweating • Cold or sweaty hands, feet • Dry mouth, problems swallowing • Frequent colds, infections, herpes sores • Rashes, itching, hives, “goose bumps” • Unexplained or frequent “allergy” attacks • Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea • Excess belching, flatulence • Constipation, diarrhea, loss of control • Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing • Sudden attacks of life threatening panic • Chest pain, palpitations, rapid pulse • Frequent urination • Diminished sexual desire or performance • Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness • Increased anger, frustration, hostility • Depression, frequent or wild mood swings • Increased or decreased appetite • Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams • Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts • Trouble learning new information • Forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion • Difficulty in making decisions • Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed • Frequent crying spells or suicidal thoughts • Feelings of loneliness or worthlessness • Little interest in appearance, punctuality • Nervous habits, fidgeting, feet tapping • Increased frustration, irritability, edginess • Overreaction to petty annoyances • Increased number of minor accidents • Obsessive or compulsive behavior • Redu...

Have you ever found yourself with sweaty hands on a first date or felt your heart pound during a scary movie? Then you know you can feel stress in both your mind and body. This automatic response developed in our ancient ancestors as a way to protect them from predators and other threats. Faced with danger, the body kicks into gear, flooding the body with stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that elevate your heart rate, increase your blood pressure, boost your energy, and prepare you to deal with the problem. These days, you’re not likely to face the threat of being eaten. But you probably do confront multiple challenges every day, such as meeting deadlines, paying bills, and juggling childcare that make your body react the same way. As a result, your body’s natural alarm system—the “fight or flight” response—may be stuck in the on position. And that can have serious consequences for your health. When stress starts interfering with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period, it becomes even more dangerous. The longer the stress lasts, the worse it is for both your mind and body. You might feel fatigued, unable to concentrate, or irritable for no good reason, for example. But The long-term activation of the stress response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that come with it can disrupt almost all of your body's processes. This can put you at increased risk for a variety of physical and mental health problems, includ...

Page Contents • • • • • Consequences of Stress Stress is any condition that causes us to feel uncomfortable. When the pressure of stress is severe and long, the continued physiological, psychological, and behavioral pathology effects on the bodily organs of the individual are evident. The individual’s ability to think, feel, and act is also affected. The consequences of stress can be categorized into: • Physiological consequences • Psychological consequences • Organizational consequences • Behavioral consequences Physiological Consequences of Stress Stress can have a negative influence on health. This negative influence can be seen if an individual can interpret the bodily symptoms of stress. Some symptoms can be readily reorganized, while other symptoms are vague and ambiguous. For example, severe stomach pain accompanied by bloody stools is enough for the person to seek medical help. A chest pain, however, may prompt the person to “wait and see”. A short reassurance may actually be a long-term danger. Stress can cause the heart rate to rise, increase blood pressure, oxygen intake, blood sugar level, and serum cholesterol, cause problems in the digestive system, and decrease the galvanic skin response. Certain physiological consequences due to stress are: Heart Disease: Stress can influence the activity of the heart as it activates the Gastrointestinal Problems: The brain and intestine are strongly related and mediated by many of the same hormones. It is not surprising th...