Health Problems Caused By Stress: What Happens When You Stress Too Much?

Possibly the biggest problem with modern society is that it treats stress like a badge of honor. The person who seems to be under the most stress is deemed to be a busy person, and ultimately a successful person as well. However, stress is far from being a badge of honor. If anything, it is the closest thing we have to a real-life curse. There are several stress-related diseases you need to be on the lookout for that are either caused or exacerbated by excessive stress on the body. Not only that, but you also need to be mindful of the physical symptoms of stress in due time before it’s too late. In this blog, we will learn about some of the various health problems caused by stress, either directly or indirectly, and see how we can avoid them. 

How Stress Affects The Body? 

The human body is fragile, and stress acts as a tight grip that can break the body and mind. Unfortunately, many people do not notice the long-term effects of high stress until it’s too late. In this section, we will discuss the many different ways stress can affect the human body. 

• The Adrenaline Rush:

 Stress speeds up the heart rate, elevates blood pressure, increases breathing rate, and heightens muscle tension. This leads to a constant surge in adrenaline, which increases the pressure on the heart, risking cardiovascular illnesses.

• The Cortisol Flood: 

Stress causes the hypothalamus to signal the pituitary gland, which then signals the adrenal cortex to release cortisol. Over time, high cortisol levels will lead to the body developing cortisol resistance, which interferes with blood sugar regulation and leads to diabetes. Thus, cortisol stress damage cannot be understated. 

• Impact On The Immune System:

 While stress can boost immune functions initially, it does have a ton of detrimental effects over time. High cortisol levels lead to a reduction in the production of white blood cells, which causes a drop in the body’s disease resistance abilities. 

• Impact on Digestion:

 Stress causes the blood flow to be diverted from the digestive tract towards the muscles and brain, slowing digestion. This is why so many PhD students often suffer from digestive problems. It’s just one of the many ways how PhD programs crush students mentally and physically. 

• Impact on the Brain and Mental Health:

 Sustained cortisol exposure damages neurons in the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain required for memory and learning. Thus, extended periods of stress can damage one’s cognitive functions. 

Chronic Stress Health Effects: Health Issues Caused By Stress

Now, let us talk about the various stress-related diseases that you have to stay away from at all costs. Keep in mind that none of these diseases are acute; all are chronic diseases and stay with you for the rest of your life. So be mindful to stay stress-free and prevent yourself from becoming a host to tons of health complications that can likely shorten your life. 

• Cardiovascular Disease:- 

Stress leads to the continuous release of adrenaline, which causes the blood vessels to constrict, and thus, the blood pressure and heart rate also increase. This is one of the most fatal chronic stress health effects, as heart issues cause a lot of deaths each year. 

• Metabolic Syndrome and Type-2 Diabetes:- 

As discussed earlier, high cortisol levels cause the body to develop a resistance to cortisol, which leads to the body’s sugar regulation abilities deteriorating. Consequently, this leads to diabetes, weight gain, and metabolic syndrome. 

• Gastrointestinal Disorders:- 

Stress is a major trigger and exacerbating factor for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which causes pain, cramping, bloating, and irregular bowel movements. This is one of the most horrific ways how stress affects the body, as gastrointestinal disorders are long-lasting and are accompanied by severe pain.

• Immune and Autoimmune Conditions:- 

Chronic stress has been linked to triggering flare-ups and increasing the severity of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Stress just damages the immune system in general.

• Musculoskeletal Issues:- 

Stress causes the muscles to contract, which leads to sustained physical tension, which not only causes pain but also weakens the bones and muscles. This is one of the long-term effects of high stress as the muscle/bone pain does not become apparent very soon.

Common Physical Symptoms Of Stress People Often Miss

Stress is like a silent killer; it creeps slowly without anyone realising until it’s too late. We have already discussed how stress affects the body, but now we will discuss the physical symptoms of stress that people often ignore or completely miss. So watch out for these symptoms if you want to avoid cortisol stress damage. 

• Bruxism and TMJ Pain:-

 Stress has been known to cause pain in the face and jaw muscles. Students have reported feeling pain while yawning in the middle of completing their assignments. Overcoming the biggest assignment writing frustrations is easy if you are a student, so be mindful not to let your work stress you out. 

• Heightened Skin Sensitivity:-

 Stress hormones trigger inflammatory pathways, which make the skin very sensitive. People who live stressful lives often suffer from skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, or chronic hives. Increased acne is also common in stressed individuals. 

• Frequent Illnesses and Slow Healing:-

 The stress and immune system link becomes quite obvious when you realise that stress can cause a drop in the lymphocyte count. People often catch minor colds, have lingering coughs, and notice that small cuts and bruises take an unusually long time to heal. 

• Chronic Back, Neck, or Shoulder Tension:-

 Stress causes permanent muscle readiness, which keeps muscles contracted for a long time. This also leads to constant back, neck, and shoulder pain, and people often don’t realise that stress was the root cause. 

• Changes in Vision:-

 Persistent twitching in the eyes or difficulty in focusing one’s vision can be one of the easiest-to-miss physical symptoms of stress. The nerves of the eyelids are fragile and get easily worn out due to stress. 

• Tinnitus:-

 Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, particularly in quiet environments, is also a symptom of stress that many ignore. This is because stress causes the blood pressure to spike, which affects the vascular systems near the inner ear. 

Long-Term Effects Of High Stress On The Body

Some people have a higher resistance to the effects of stress on their bodies, but a higher resistance is not the same as an impenetrable barrier. Sooner or later, the effects of stress become more apparent. That is mostly because of the stress and immune system link, as excess strain of the body directly translates to progressive damage. Here are some long-term effects of high stress on the human body. 

• Accelerated Cellular Aging:- 

Chronic stress directly affects cellular health, and that includes the lifespan of cells. Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of DNA chromosomes, and stress is scientifically proven to shorten telomeres with time. 

• Permanent Cardiovascular Damage:-

 Silent damage to the heart is one of the most severe long-term effects of high stress on the body. The constant effort of pumping blood against chronically high pressure causes the heart muscles to thicken, which in turn leads to heart failure. 

• Structural Brain Changes and Cognitive Decline:- 

Sustained high cortisol levels are known to be neurotoxic, which means that they directly shrink the brain region responsible for episodic memory and learning. Thus, there is a direct link between cortisol stress damage and cognitive decline. 

• Immune System Burnout and Chronic Inflammation:-

 Long-term stress is known to exhaust the body’s immune system. Over time, immune cells become less responsive to cortisol’s anti-inflammatory signals. Eventually, the immune system becomes unable to shut down, which leads to persistent inflammation. It’s worth noting that a body suffering from inflammation is likely to fall prey to a variety of cancers. 

• Exhaustion of the Endocrine System:-

 If you have ever wondered how stress affects the body’s regenerative factor, we’d like to tell you that the impact is very harmful. Stress causes the ability of the adrenal glands to respond appropriately to diminish. This leads to chronic fatigue, sleep problems, and problems regulating the body’s energy, which makes recovery difficult. 

How To Manage Stress Effectively?

It’s about time that we move on from the pessimistic side of things. Let us discuss how we can prevent ourselves from becoming victims of chronic stress health effects. Here are some stress management tips that will help you overcome health issues. 

• Practice the ‘Two Minute’ Rule:

 If a stressful task takes less than two minutes of your time, do it immediately instead of scheduling it for later. This will prevent tasks from accumulating and further increasing your stress. This is one of the best strategies for managing stress if you are a student. 

• Establish Digital Detox Boundaries:

 Designate specific ‘no screen’ zones in your home and designate specific hours for checking your emails and notifications. This will help manage hypervigilance and reduce your digital stress. 

• Cognitive Reframing: 

Try to identify common negative thought patterns and rephrase them into neutral or positive thoughts. For example, if you feel something like ‘I am a failure,’ try to remind yourself that ‘I am growing and developing, it’s all part of the process.’

• Learn To Say ‘No’: 

Set firm boundaries and do not commit to everything at once. Managing too many commitments can drastically increase your stress levels over time.

• Regular Exercise: 

One of the best stress management strategies, moderate aerobic (swimming, running, etc.) exercise, is said to be very beneficial in fighting stress. Physical activity metabolises excess stress hormones and releases mood-boosting endorphins. 

• Social Connection:

 Lastly, connecting with trusted friends and family members is absolutely crucial in combating stress. Just feeling a sense of belonging and companionship works wonders when it comes to fighting stress. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to remember that the human body is like a beautiful tree, and stress is similar to a termite that only seeks to hollow out the tree entirely. The only difference is that humans directly invite stress, but you can take steps to avoid it. We have discussed some of the most prominent stress-related diseases in this blog, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a host of other problems that won’t arise because of excessive stress. Just stay strong, stay resilient, and do not let stress occupy your mind and body for even a second.