We all have bad days sometimes. It’s only natural to feel some stress when life events start piling up. But when does normal stress become a health concern? And what are the long-term health effects of chronic stress?
Constant physical or emotional stress can have a very negative effect on your overall health. The immune system tends to break down and provide less effective protection against illness when under stress, meaning that you get sick more often and stay sick longer than someone who isn’t chronically stressed.
If you’re under constant stress, you may experience a wide range of physical conditions. Sleeping problems, sudden pronounced weight loss or gain, stomach pain, increased blood pressure, decreased libido, irritability, and loss of concentration can all accompany a long period of stress.
The reason that chronic stress causes disease is that our bodies are built to respond quickly to situations that cause fear, stress, or pain. The “fight or flight” response that gets us through the most difficult situations releases stress hormones that allow us to react quickly. When the stress becomes long-term, our bodies become overloaded with these hormones, which eventually begin to cause damage.
Stress has been shown to be strongly linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Some doctors even believe that stress plays a part in causing cancer, although that connection is debatable.
To reduce the possible health risks of stress, do your best to eliminate the causes of tension in your life. Eating a balanced diet and getting daily exercise can go a long way toward keeping you calm, balanced, and healthy. If you feel stress overwhelming you, taking a vacation or speaking to a counselor or therapist can also greatly help your health.
The connection between mental and physical health is often overlooked, but it’s a strong connection that we should all be aware of. Keeping your stress levels down and your outlook positive may do wonders for your physical health now and in the future.
