Stress affects your overall health

Stress affects your overall health

It is a known fact that one of ten people is over stressed at any given moment. Stress usually occurs when bad things happen in your life and it is caused by changes in the normal routine or health. Scientists even agree that stress causes chemical changes in the brain, and these changes influence the state of your overall health. Physical and emotional changes in life, illness, and environmental compounds like extreme cold or heat, and toxins are proof that stress affects your overall health. Working too much will affect your energy level and it will eventually result in your becoming over stressed. Although science is still learning about the impact that stress has on overall health, it is known that stress is a contributing factor in many conditions, from insomnia to cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Nobody is immune to stress. However, women are particularly susceptible to stress that is caused by hormonal changes. Hormone levels fluctuate a lot, especially during puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause, thus causing stress. Stress is also a key factor when it comes to absence of menstruation or abnormal bleeding. It may cause fertility problems, difficult to achieve pregnancies, or even fibroid tumors and endometriosis. However, women are not the only ones that are affected by stress, men are too. As a response to daily stress, human body reaches a high level of palpitation and blood pressure. These symptoms gradually result in injury to the coronary arteries and the heart. High blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke are only a few of the stress related cardiovascular conditions.

Nowadays it is now known that stress, cognitive appraisal, coping, and migraine are reciprocally related. Stress affects your overall health and can cause back pains, neck pains, and headaches. As well as that, it can initiate dermatological conditions such as rashes and itchy skin. Stress also worsens many immune related medical conditions. When confronted with stress, the body produces cortisol, which can suppress the body’s immune response, thus increasing susceptibility to infectious diseases. Repeated flu attacks, pneumonia, or even common colds are directly related to stressful lifestyle. Even HIV – AIDS progresses more rapidly in the presence of stress factors.

In stress conditions, the blood supply to the stomach is restricted, which will cause abnormal functioning of the digestive system. As well as that, the function of the intestine is partially controlled by the nervous system, which is directly affected by stress. In conclusion, gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, lower abdominal cramps, and ulcer are as well related to stress. Stress aggravates even cancer and neuro – degenerative disorders. Chronic stress affects the balance between oxidants and antioxidants in the body. The alteration in this balance results in pathological responses, which may cause disorders and diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or cancer. It can also accelerate the aging process, as oxidants increase electronegative constituents in body molecules.

Eliminating stress completely from your life is impossible. However, stress management techniques can decrease some of its harmful effects. Stress management techniques include a healthy diet, making time for relaxation, getting regular exercise and socializing.