Stress has become so common that most people consider it to be expected. Where that might be the case for low levels of stress, the kind of stress most of us face these days is far from normal. It is a slow killer and has several detrimental effects on our physical and psychological health.
Moreover, these days almost no one is safe from stress. Whether it is our hectic jobs, demanding schedules at school, financial problems, or relationship problems, almost everyone has to face stress these days.
Furthermore, most people don’t know how damaging stress can be; therefore, today, I am going to tell you about seven ways in which stress can take a toll on your health. So, keep reading to learn more.
Stress can diminish your immune system:
When we are stressed, several hormonal changes occur in our body, one of the hormones released in cortisol, and it can have a devastating impact on our immune system. Stress reduces our body’s response to diseases and makes us more susceptible to infections and viral diseases like flu and the common cold. Stress can also increase the time required to recover from injuries and diseases.
Therefore, it is very important to find healthy and sustainable ways to cope with stress and keep our immune systems working efficiently. This is especially important right now when we are in the midst of a global viral pandemic, which is a cause of immense stress for many people.
Stress can lead to depression and anxiety:
Stress is a severe disorder, and it can be quite devastating for our psychological health. Stress can significantly increase the risk of disorders like depression, anxiety, hypertension, and many others.
In fact, according to a recent study published in Molecular Psychiatry, chronic stress can physically change the brain in the long term. Researchers believe that these changes might play a critical role in developing several mental disorders, including the likes of depression, bipolar disorder, and of course, PTSD.
Studies also show that stress is particularly bad for the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays a major role in developing memories, learning, and feeling emotions. Therefore, people with high-stress levels are also more susceptible to memory deterioration disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Therefore, it is essential to look for ways to cope with stress, and one of the best side-effects freeways is using cannabis. Weed is a prevalent drug, and apart from its recreational uses, it can be used to treat several medical disorders.
The cannabinoids in weed interact with the endocannabinoid system in our body and promote anti-stress hormones like dopamine. This can be quite helpful in decreasing stress; therefore, visit xpressgrass.com to learn more about weed and its medical benefits.
Stress can be bad for the digestive system:
Among several other complications, chronic stress also takes a toll on your digestive system. When you stay stressed all the time, you are more likely to get heartburn because of the increased acidity in your stomach.
Furthermore, there might also be a connection between stress and stomach ulcers. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers, but it can cause existing ulcers to flare up.
Chronic stress can also affect how food moves through our body, and it can lead to several other health issues related to the digestive tract, like constipation, diarrhea, and stomachaches. High-levels of stress may also make you experience symptoms like vomiting and nausea.
Stress can increase the risk of diabetes:
Diabetes is a very severe health condition, and it can significantly decrease one’s quality of life and even cause terminal health conditions. Many factors could lead to diabetes, genetics being one of the most common ones; however, stress can also make matters worse for a person with a family history of diabetes.
When we are under stress, blood sugar concentration is increased to give us an energy boost. No, if someone has chronic stress, their body might not be able to keep up with the extra amount of glucose in their body, and they might be more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes.
Stress can increase the risk of heart diseases:
The cardiovascular system is also severely affected because of chronic stress; people who stay stressed a lot are at a significantly higher risk of heart diseases. When someone is under stress, the theory is that the heart pumps blood faster to keep it active, and stress hormones like cortisol cause blood vessels to constrict. This effect happens to increase oxygen flow to your muscles, which is a defense mechanism of the body, however, when this effect is prolonged, because of chronic stress, it can lead to high blood pressure.
When your cardiovascular system remains in this hyper state for a long time, heart attacks and strokes are elevated.
Stress can also contribute to respiratory disorders. When stressed, the breathing becomes faster to increase the distribution of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles; however, this can also cause problems for people who already have breathing-related conditions like asthma or emphysema.
According to a leading heart surgeon who practices cardiology in Dubai, stress and heart related ailments are very closely related. If you are under stress, the performance of your heart muscles alters significantly. People that have long bouts of depression have been shown to exhibit poor heart health and stand the risk of getting attacks more often than people that do not have depression.
Stress can affect the performance of the lymphatic system:
The lymphatic system is a network of organs and lymph nodes that work to eliminate toxins from our blood. A healthy lymphatic system is essential for overall good health; however, among many other issues, stress can also be detrimental to the lymphatic system.
Since blood circulation is affected because of stress, the lymph fluids cannot efficiently reach all the organs and hence can’t rid them of toxins. This leads to fluid retention, higher risks of inflammation, and several other issues as well.
Stress can turn into a disorder:
Where stress is a natural response of the body, when it becomes chronic, it can actually turn into a disorder. Stress can be quite devastating on its own, and it also increases the risk of several other disorders. You need to understand that stress is taking years off of your life; therefore, it is essential to take it seriously and make an effort to counter day to day stress.
