Everyone has heard of the toll that stress can play on your mental health, but many people may not know what happens to our physical being when we encounter stress. It turns out that our body is really effected by the stress of our everyday lives. One thing to note is that every stressor we encounter has the same negative toll on our body, no matter how small it may seem (AKA: stress about upcoming test effects you the same as someone close to you passing away). It is important that we try to control stress when it comes our way and to try and cope with it as best as you can.
Several hormones, such as oxytocin and vasopressin, are released during stress which will affect all of your bodily systems. Oxytocin and vasopressin will contract the walls of blood vessels and could lead to high blood pressure, therefore effecting your cardiovascular system and your heart. Constriction of smooth muscles due to stress will lead to issues in the gastrointestinal system. These issues include reduced saliva, increased hydrochloric acid in your stomach, and may cause you to poop...or to not poop at all (if you catch my drift). Don't count your skin out from being affected by stress. Stress causes discoloration and blemishes to appear on your skin. We also see that stress causes us unnecessary tension in our muscles, causing the death of cardiac muscle cells and loss of contractibility of the heart as well as an increase in backaches and migraines.
1. Obesity
Obesity is said to be fairly affected by stress. Most people will grab a carton of ice cream or maybe a drink at the local bar when stressed and it turns out that this is a huge factor contributing to obesity. Stress and diet lead to a metabolic syndrome that is linked to both obesity and diabetes. During stress, Neuropeptide Y is released from certain nerve cells which contributes to the growth of fat cells.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is when the immune system attacks its own cells and tissue, causing stiff and swollen joints. Stress does not cause Rheumatoid Arthritis, however, stress can cause arthritis attacks.
3. Allergies/Asthma/Hay Fever
Stress and anxiety trigger the release of histamine and leukomas. Histamine is what causes our throat to itch, nose to start running, and unbearable itchy/dry eyes. The releasing of histamine is a response to allergens surrounding you and stress is just one factor that causes these symptoms or flare-ups.
4. Coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease has claimed the top number of deaths in the United States of America alone. Research has shown that stress and having a Type A personality both contribute to CHD. Stress often leads to high blood pressure (hypertension). high cholesterol, and accelerated heart rate...all risk factors contributing to coronary heart disease.
5. Temporomandibular Syndrome
TMJ occurs when you (either consciously or unconsciously) grind your teeth or clench your jaw. When someone is stressed they may unconsciously do this while sleeping, or awake, which leads to severe pain and inflammation in the jaw and can trigger migraines and earaches.
6. Ulcers
Ulcers have not been proven to be caused by stress, but some people say otherwise. Ulcers are fissures/cuts in the walls of the stomach or intestines. During stress, norepinephrine causes capillaries in the stomach to constrict, reducing mucus production. Stress also increases hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Some scientists believe that these factors can contribute to the growth of the H. Pylori bacteria, which inflames the GI tract and stimulates ulcers.
7. Cancer
Cancer, like ulcers, is not directly related to stress though some scientists have noticed that stress may impact the longevity of the disease. Scientists have also found that "stress hormones" will actually bind with cancer cells, which as you can guess...is not good. Stress also causes immune system impairment which can really hinder a person's ability to defeat cancer.
8. Backaches and Migraines
When people are stressed out they tend to "brace" their muscles. Bracing is when we put a large amount of strain or tension into our muscles (mostly unconsciously). The tension of the muscles may cause dilation and constriction of the carotid arteries, causing migraines to occur. We see the same thing in backaches because the act of bracing causes the back to become fatigued.
Disclaimer: I am not a scientist but truly enjoy exploring how our body is affected by our everyday stress. Information may be subject to change with new findings.
