It’s well-known that too much stress can have a negative effect on your mental well-being. It can be hard to take action in reducing stress in your life, especially if you have a busy schedule and lots of responsibilities, and if you feel like you’re coping mentally, there’s not much motivation to address high-stress levels. However, stress can also have quite serious physical consequences too, and prolonged periods of high stress can make you physically unwell. The overproduction of stress hormones can, over time, take a toll on your body, so it pays to be aware of how stress can manifest itself so you can take action if you start to feel the effects.
Cardiovascular system
Stress can lead to, or make worse, existing heart and circulatory conditions. Heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), angina, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke can all be linked to prolonged stress. The stress itself is usually a contributing factor rather than a single direct cause, but there is no doubt that the effects are real. If you are diagnosed with any heart-related condition or high blood pressure, it’s important to take the medications prescribed by your doctor, which you can purchase from online chemists such as EDrugSearch.com; learn more now. Your doctor is also likely to advise some lifestyle changes, and one will be reducing your stress levels to prevent too much strain on your system.
Gastrointestinal system
Like the heart, digestive system conditions are likely to be exacerbated by stress rather than causing it, but there are a number of painful, debilitating conditions that stress is linked to. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is responsible for indigestion and heartburn, which can be very painful. The acid reflux it causes can also damage and scar the esophagus. Other conditions including gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are also affected by high-stress levels.
Other health problems
Acne, psoriasis, eczema, and in some cases, permanent hair loss have all been linked to high-stress levels. Unfortunately, the presence of one of these conditions can add to your stress, which leads to a vicious cycle of stress making the condition worse, which increases the stress you feel, and so your problem gets increasingly worse. This cycle of stress also leads to problems like sexual dysfunction, again with no clear way out while the stress persists. Overeating, and in consequence obesity, can result from the mental effects of being under stress, and having weight problems will increase your chances of the aforementioned heart, circulation and gastrointestinal problems.
If you thought you were immune from the effects of stress, don’t be so sure – it may just be that for you the consequences of elevated, prolonged stress are affecting your body more than your mind. Of course, in many cases, it can affect both! Although the results can be serious, the good news is that if you take steps to deal with the stress, it will help to reduce and, in some cases, resolve your health problems. Don’t let a manageable problem like stress take over your life – find out about ways to tackle your stress and you will feel happier and healthier as a result.
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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