Stress is normal and a little amount of stress is healthy for you to survive, however, if it goes out of bounds, it can be silent killer and snatch your happiness away for good! Uncontrolled levels of stress are not healthy for your body, and you must take steps to manage it before it’s too late. Today’s post will delve deeper into how an uncontrolled level of stress can affect your overall well-being, and why you must not ignore stress and pay immediate attention to it!
Different kinds of stress
Before we discover how uncontrolled stress affects the body negatively, let us understand the different kinds of stress that we commonly face-
There is a distinction between acute stress, chronic stress, and stress that causes burnouts. Let us understand them below-
1. Acute stress
Refers to the instinctive reaction to any trigger or impulse, for instance, when you are startled or there is an imminent deadline, or a near accident, or examination stress or when you are winning a sport or a game. This kind of stress is the most common one we face in our day-to-day lives. It is perfectly normal, and it subsides when the trigger or the cause disappears.
2. Chronic stress
This type of stress is triggered by resistance generally by not accepting events in life. There might not be a specific reason for this sort of stress, however it will still bother you because you have no control over, like for example fretting, or being nervous for an interview or presentation scheduled to take place months ahead in the future, the general economic crisis and debts, fear of failure, chronic illness, general anxiety, passion for the corporate work culture, and so on.
3. Burnout stress
This type of stress is the result of a longer period of chronic stress, and it often characterized by a reduction in flexibility and exhaustion.
Stress and all the bad things it can do to your body
Stress triggers off the bad hormone cortisol in your body, and your adrenaline levels also increase. However, if we ignore stress in the long-term it can result in serious health problems.
What exactly are these “bad things?” First off, adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormones) can rev up your heart — but long-term stress can be especially dangerous as ongoing, high cortisol levels can lead to the following issues:
- Insomnia
- Heartburn
- Infertility
- Diabetes
- Elevated blood pressure
- Stomach issues
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Weak Immune System
- Heart Disease
- High blood pressure
- Stomach problems
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lost libido
- Change in menstruation
- Anxiety
- Depression
Why is stress referred to as the “Silent Killer”?
Stress is a silent killer and adversely affects the heart, lungs, digestive tract, liver and the skin. We all have a tendency to ignore stress symptoms and pay less attention to our mental wellness owing to the today’s busy lifestyles.
Effects of stress on heart
When it comes to the heart it increases the blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels of the blood that builds up on the wall resulting in blood clots limiting the flow of blood to the heart. Uncontrolled stress has been the reason of heart diseases, heart attacks and heart failure. There have been reports that suggest that workplace related stress and private life have been the primary causes of coronary heart disease.
Effects of stress on Lungs
Stress affects breathing patterns and is the key cause of panic attacks in people. When confronted with stress, the rate of breathing increases, and in most cases asthma attacks are triggered.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, these attacks are responsible for almost two million visits to the emergency room every year. Besides the above, the other respiratory complications caused by stress is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD. This disease is characterized by poor airflow to the lungs for a long time.
Effects of stress on Digestive tract
Stress affects the digestive system by causing bloating, pain, and discomfort in bowel movements. It affects the speed of food movement in the body, resulting in constipation or diarrhea. There can also be painful muscle spasms in the bowel movements.
Effects of stress on Liver
Chronic stress results in the expansion of natural killer cells, that in some cases, kills liver cells, and makes liver disease worser. It impairs the flow of blood to the organ causing liver damage!
Effects of stress on Skin
Cortisol causes excess sebum in the skin glands leading to an outbreak of acne as the pores in your skin become clogged. If you have any sort of skin issues like eczema, rosacea or psoriasis, they tend to flare up with stress.
From the above, it is evident that chronic stress can ruin your health and happiness if unchecked in the long run. It is time to wake up and not ignore if you have uncontrolled levels of stress, and resort to meditation, deep breathing exercises, exercise, and a hobby that you love to do to reduce it, and keep it at bay!
