Despite the invention of various technologies to save money, time, and energy, there are still people who go through a lot of stress either at their workplace, home, or social gathering.
Stress may be defined as the body’s reaction to anything that requires attention or action. When the body is under stress, the adrenaline responds by releasing lots of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which causes various emergency actions to occur in the body such as increased heartbeat, increased blood pressure, tightened muscles, and sharper senses. These actions caused by the hormones help the body in stressful situations.
However, frequently stressing the body can increase the production of stress hormones which may not be healthy and may result in various complications that will be discussed below.
Insomnia
Stress oftentimes leads to temporary insomnia but long-lasting stress may result in chronic insomnia which can result in fatigue and causes sleeplessness and restlessness.
Worsen Asthma symptom
Since stress causes the body to release certain hormones, it may lead to inflammation between the airway of the lungs and trigger asthma. In asthma patients, it may worsen their condition by making them anxious, panicked, and short of breath.
Weakened immune system
According to studies, when the body is stressed, there is usually a decrease in lymphocytes(the white blood cell that helps to fight off antigens) which may result in the body’s susceptibility to infections.
High blood pressure
When the stress hormones are produced, they tend to increase the blood pressure by increasing the heartbeat and causing blood vessels to narrow. For patients already suffering from high blood pressure, it might be a serious health problem. It may cause a person to feel like fainting while standing.
Digestive problems/Constipation
Sometimes stress reduces the digestion rate and causes constipation, bloating, and pain(as a result of stomach ulcer/stomach upset). Other times it may speed digestion and cause diarrhoea. It may also result in loss of appetite.
Heart diseases
The high production of cortisol can be caused by frequent stress that may increase blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood cholesterol which may put the heart at high risk of heart diseases.
Chronic pain
In many people undergoing stress, pains are felt in almost all parts of the body. Pains such as headache, back pain, joints pain, and chest pain.
Since stress is almost inevitable in a weekly activity, it’s advised to take precautions such as exercise, mindfulness, and rest, especially when we notice some of the listed results of overstress.
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