The symptoms of stress can affect our body, our mind and our behavior. Uncontrolled stress can contribute to many health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
When a person is stressed, the body prepares itself precisely to respond to that stress. This response can cause physical changes in the body : It affects the neck and shoulders, for example, by enlarging blood vessels in large muscle groups to allow faster oxygen delivery.
Muscle problems
The muscles in our body tighten to protect themselves from injury when we are stressed. They tend to release when we relax, but if we continuously put stress on them, the muscles may not get a chance to relax. What can cause them to be tense too long? Headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches. Chronic stress increases tension in the muscles that run down the back of the back ; it restricts the movement of the neck and shoulders and increases our perception of pain.
Heart disease
Acute stress can directly increase your heart rate and blood flow, which can lead to high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your bloodstream. Stress has also been shown to trigger serious heart problems, including heart attacks. Stress can make you want to overeat, smoke, or stop exercising, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
Gastrointestinal disorders
Stress does not cause ulcers, but it can create or aggravate digestive problems in people with common gastrointestinal problems, especially chronic heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Several factors, both biological and psychological, contribute to gastrointestinal disorders.
Alzheimer disease
Researchers have yet to prove the connection between stress and Alzheimer’s disease, but stress is thought to cause inflammation of the brain, making it more susceptible to general health problems, so stress may increase risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s. Likewise, stress is also associated with depression, which is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Asthma
Many studies have shown that stress can make asthma worse and is a common trigger for asthma symptoms in which the airways become inflamed and breathing becomes difficult.
Immune system problems
Stress stimulates the immune system, which, at first glance, may seem positive by keeping our body alert to avoid infections and heal wounds. However, with a high load of continuous stress, stress hormones cause a weakening of the immune system and end up reducing the body’s response to foreign invaders, making it more vulnerable.
Diabetes
Stress can worsen diabetes by increasing the likelihood of engaging in poor eating behaviors and raising blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. People with a predisposition to diabetes, either due to family history or lifestyle habits, can increase your risk by stress-induced overeating.
Referencia: Neil Schneiderman, Gail Ironson, and Scott D. Siegel et al. STRESS AND HEALTH: Psychological, Behavioral, and Biological Determinants Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2005; 1: 607–628. doi: 10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.144141
Shelley E. Taylor et al. Mechanisms linking early life stress to adult health outcomes May 4, 2010 | 107 (19) | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1003890107
Vital Exhaustion and Incidence of Dementia: Results from the Copenhagen City Heart Study . Islamoska, Sabrinaa;| Ishtiak-Ahmed, Kazia | Hansen, Åse Mariea; | Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaarda | Mortensen, Erik Lykkea; | Garde, Anne Helenea; | Gyntelberg, Finnb | Prescott, Eva Irene Bossanod | Török, Esztera | Waldemar, Gunhilde | Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten / DOI: 10.3233/JAD-180478Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 369-379, 2019
