You may think an underlying physical illness is to blame for your chronic headaches, high blood pressure, or decreased libido, but in reality, it’s likely that stress is at least partly to blame. But not all stress is bad. The release of chemicals and hormones, increased heart rate, faster brain activity, and sudden burst of energy can help you avoid a car accident, power through an unexpected work deadline, and keep a level head in an emergency.
However, stress overload can be harmful in many ways. The American Psychological Association estimates that over 50 percent of Americans report adverse health effects associated with too much stress in their daily lives. Learn the effects of stress on the body and how to manage it better for improved health and wellness.
The Effects of Stress on Your Lungs and Heart
Your central nervous system is responsible for generating the “fight or flight” response when your brain detects a dangerous situation. Adrenaline and cortisol are released, revving up your heartbeat, increasing your breathing rate, and sending blood to places where your body needs it most. If this fight or flight response remains activated over the long term, it could:
- Raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels.
- Increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Leave you feeling short of breath, especially if you have asthma or lung disease.
The Effects of Stress on Your Digestive System
When your body releases stress hormones, your liver responds by producing extra sugar to give you a boost of energy. The rush of hormones can also upset your digestive system. These natural responses to stress may:
- Increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Make you more likely to have acid reflux or heartburn.
- Raise your risk for ulcers and cause existing ones to act up.
- Bring on diarrhea or constipation
- Cause nausea, vomiting, or stomach ache.
The Effects of Stress on Your Muscles
Your muscles become tense when you’re stressed, which could:
- Trigger the onset of tension headaches.
- Cause shoulder, neck, and back pain.
- Lead to low-level body aches.
The Effects of Stress on Your Reproductive System
While short-term stress may increase the production of testosterone in men, constant stress can negatively affect your reproductive system in the following ways:
- Take a toll on your libido.
- Cause fertility problems.
- Interfere with sperm production in men.
- Cause erectile dysfunction in men.
- Increase the risk of infection in male reproductive organs.
- Affect a woman’s menstrual cycle.
- Lead to more painful, irregular, or heavier periods in women.
- Amplify the physical symptoms of menopause in women.
The Effects of Stress on Your Immune System
In the short term, stress stimulates the immune system to help you avoid infections and heal wounds faster. However, prolonged stress weakens your immune system, which can:
- Make you more susceptible to the flu and cold virus.
- Increase your likelihood of contracting an infection.
- Prolong the recovery period from an illness or injury.
How to Manage Stress
If you think your stress level is chronically high, take steps to manage it with these tips:
- Exercise regularly to release feel-good brain chemicals and counteract stress hormones.
- Adopt relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, yoga, or massage.
- Try to keep a sense of humor, even when things get stressful.
- Make time to socialize with friends and family.
- Pursue your favorite hobbies in your spare time.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as doing drugs, smoking, drinking alcohol, or downing caffeine.
When to Seek Help
If you take steps to control your stress, but your symptoms continue, visit Spine Correction Center of the Rockies. We can provide you with natural treatments to combat neck pain, back pain, headaches, and other symptoms of chronic stress. We can also provide you with a much-needed massage or chiropractic adjustment to loosen tight muscles and treat pain at the source.
To learn more about our natural healing techniques, please contact us online or call our Fort Collins office at (970) 658-5115 and set up your free consultation today!
