Effects Of Stress On Your Body: Symptoms You Should Know About

The effects of stress on your body are more extensive than you might believe. That tension and that long-held state of mind undermine our health, and place a cobweb in our life where we can get trapped. The cumulative effects of chronic stress take over us until we weaken, until we are left low in the whirlwind of our day to day.

Stress is that buzzword that almost all of us have in our mouths when we do not reach our goals. When the day is short and our obligations are very long. When the headache becomes unbearable and the pending tasks endless. Everyone, in one way or another, can describe that uncomfortable feeling, that common enemy in humans.

Now, beyond the sensations are the internal realities, the effects, the consequences. We are talking about the impact on our body of this disorder that acts as an invasive presence altering a myriad of basic functions. Thus, a fact that we must take into account in the first place is that stress changes our brain. When this condition is maintained permanently, memory deteriorates, certain structures degenerate and cognitive decline appears, and there is even a greater risk when it comes to suffering from depression.

We are not talking about something innocuous. Stress is more than just that buzzword, it is a disorder, it is a reality that leaves a dent in our body and takes away vitality, energy and of course, health.

Effects of stress on your body

The effects of stress on your body are orchestrated by a very specific brain structure: the hypothalamus. This interesting region acts almost like a radar. He is very sensitive to worries, to those mental knots loaded with fear and anxiety. All these messages are interpreted as a threat and instantly, emits a warning signal to our body: we must escape.

Faced with this alarm-laden information, an incredibly complex response is triggered in our body. For starters, the pituitary gland and adrenal cortex will release  stress hormones  . These hormones contain elements very similar to cortisone: they are called glucocorticoids, the most important being cortisol.

Now, glucocorticoids have their positive side and their negative side. If they are released at a specific moment and limited in time, they help us to react in a more adapted way, always getting the best of ourselves in a situation. However,  if that release is continuous, if it occurs day after day, the effects of stress on your body are immense. Let’s see them below.

Respiratory and cardiac symptoms

Stress hormones directly affect both the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. We breathe faster in an attempt by the brain to rapidly distribute oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, thus being able to react as soon as possible to threats. Now, this is undoubtedly a great risk, because tachycardias and hypertension appear.

Likewise, another phenomenon also occurs: the blood vessels narrow to carry more oxygen to the muscles so that we can “escape” from these supposed threats. This therefore implies that both our heart and the brain will receive less oxygen and nutrients.  

Effects on your digestive system

Another of the effects of stress on your body is located in the digestive system. They are as follows:

• Stomach ache.
• Appearance of ulcers.
• Bad digestions.
• Gastric reflux.
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stress forces the liver to produce higher blood sugar (glucose) in order to get more energy. This translates into greater risk when it comes to suffering from diabetes.
• Colitis and intestinal inflammation.

Obesity or weight loss

This is an effect that usually varies a lot from person to person. There are those who, faced with stress, increase their intake of caloric foods in order to satisfy that emotional craving. Others, on the other hand, experience lack of appetite.

Hair loss

Hair loss due to stress is common. High levels of cortisol in the blood weaken the hair follicles and it is common to begin to suffer progressive hair loss. Likewise, we can also suffer alopecia areata, where small areas appear where hair falls and localized baldness appears.

Changes in menstruation

Chronic stress tends to have serious effects on our hormonal system. Thus, one of the most obvious symptoms in women is the appearance of very irregular menstrual cycles. There are delays or absences, and even the menstrual flow is less.

Weaker immune system

The effects of stress on your body have a lot to do with the immune system. Emotional stress saps our defenses. If we do not manage it properly and maintain a state of stress over time, the immune response is reduced and we begin to be more vulnerable to the following conditions:

• Flu and colds.
• Herpes.
• Allergies
• Skin conditions.
• Slower healing of wounds or injuries.

To conclude, as we can see the effects of stress on your body are immense. Sometimes, it is common not to see the relationship and limit ourselves to resorting to drugs and the most varied treatments without understanding its origin, the real trigger. Experts in this field tell us that in general, people do not know how to recognize symptoms.

After diabetes there may be chronic stress, after our recurrent headaches, insomnia or that allergy that we do not know where it comes from, that enemy known but not perceived or assumed can inhabit. Let’s think about it.