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- Research suggests that chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, promotes the formation of artery-clogging deposits, and causes brain changes that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and addiction.
www.health.harvard.edu › staying-healthy › understanding-the-stress-response
Aug 10, 2023 · Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Knowing common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that's not dealt with can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.
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- Muscles and joints. Stress can cause pain, tightness or soreness in your muscles, as well as spasms of pain. It can lead to flare-ups of symptoms of arthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions because stress lowers your threshold for pain.
- Heart and lungs. Believe it or not, stress can affect your heart. A situation like trying to meet a deadline at work, for example, can make your heart rate increase.
- Skin and hair. Even your skin and hair aren’t immune to the effects of stress. If you have a skin condition like eczema, rosacea or psoriasis, stress can make it worse.
- Gut. Have you ever had a stomachache from being so stressed out? Stress can have a real impact on your digestive system — from simpler symptoms such as pain, gas, diarrhea and constipation to more complex conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux (GERD).
Feb 8, 2024 · When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol and other stress hormones. If this bodily response to stress goes on for a long period of time, it can put you at risk for certain health conditions, such as: digestive problems and weight gain. anxiety and depression.
- Ann Pietrangelo
- Central nervous and endocrine systems. 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 cortisol.
- Respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Stress hormones affect your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During the stress response, you breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body.
- Digestive system. Under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar (glucose) to give you a boost of energy. If you’re under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge.
- Muscular system. Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you’re stressed. They tend to release again once you relax, but if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the chance to relax.
Jun 19, 2024 · Stress is a normal reaction to challenges in your physical environment or in your perceptions of what's happening around you. Experts consider distress to be stress that is...
Apr 1, 2020 · Stress effects on the body: Body systems and symptoms. Complications. Treatments. Seeing a doctor. Summary. How stress affects the body will differ from person to person. Some people may...
Nov 1, 2018 · Chronic stress, or a constant stress experienced over a prolonged period of time, can contribute to long-term problems for heart and blood vessels. The consistent and ongoing increase in heart rate, and the elevated levels of stress hormones and of blood pressure, can take a toll on the body.
