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What are the effects of stress on the body?
If you are stressed about things too much, then the effects of stress on the body can be negative. There are many effects of stress and once you know how it can affect your body, you will want to find ways to manage it in order to prevent them from happening.
What is the Effect of Short-term Stress on the Body?
Short-term or acute stress is your reaction to an immediate threat. That threat could be something as big as divorce or as simple as a deadline. This is known as the "fight or flight" response. One of the main effects of stress on the body is sleep disturbances. This could be in the form of insomnia, over sleeping, and fatigue. You could experience some back, shoulder, or neck pain. It can even cause tension or migraine headaches and if you have ever had one of those, then you know how painful they can be.
Depending on the nature of stress, you could experience rashes and hives or even hair loss. Your hands and feet may get cold as your blood flow is redirected from your skin to your heart. Bouts of shortness of breath can occur. If you already have breathing problems, then it could trigger an asthma attack. Acute stress can also cause heartburn or acid reflux. These are just a few of the physical effects of stress on the body.
What is the Effect of Long-term Stress on the Body?
Long-term stress or chronic stress can lead to some severe physical and psychological damage to your body. It can even develop into some long-term disorders like depression or an anxiety disorder. Chronic stress can lead to heart disease or unstable angina. Angina leads to pain in your chest brought which is caused by insufficient supply of oxygen. It can even trigger a heart attack. If you are under an enormous amount of stress it can lead to high blood pressure problems. If you have induced high blood pressure, then you are increasing your risk for a stroke.
Long-term stress can drag down your immune system and make you vulnerable to infection, including colds and the flu. If you have prolonged stress, then you may have to suffer from digestive problems, such as constipation and diarrhea. It can even lead to irritable bowel syndrome. These digestive problems can make you more predisposed to get peptic ulcers.
People who have lots of stress can turn to comfort eating. However the problem with this is that it leads to obesity. It could have the opposite effect and make you lose your appetite and lose weight. Long-term stress may also cause diabetes.
If you have any type of chronic pain like arthritis, then chronic stress may exacerbate the problem even further. Chronic stress can lead to a decrease in sexual desire. It may even lead to erectile dysfunction or reproductive problems.
A few of the physiological effects of stress are cancer, diabetes, sluggish immune system, alcohol, substance abuse and cardiovascular disease. As you can see, stress effects on the body are numerous and potentially dangerous. It is important to learn to manage your stress.
Which is More Harmful to the Body?
You have probably experienced both long-term and short-term stress at some point in your life. As a matter of fact a majority of people face it in some point of life. Both forms of stress can be extremely harmful to your body. Whether it is caused by several stressors or some major stress for a long period of time, it can cause all of the above effects to you and your body. Everything depends on how you handle stress.
Which is Easier to Cure?
Both types of stress can be cured. However, it may be easier to cure short-term stress since it is easier to manage with a few techniques. You can find these techniques online or ask your doctor. Long-term stress may have to be managed with some medication or therapy and stress management techniques. If you see a therapist, they can give you a good set of stress management techniques that will help you cope with the stress better.
There are many different effects of stress on the body. The effects of stress can be quite negative if you have long-term stress. Being under a lot of stress can affect your ability to function in life. You need to learn to manage your stress before it becomes severe. You can do just that with a little practice and a few techniques.
You must be very stubborn in curtailing these negative effects of stress. Some of them can be very harmful. If you take them for granted then you will suffer a lot because it can create lots of troubles. If you realize it at a later stage then it will become too late by that time.
High stress is one of the leading causes of weight gain and eventual obesity.
It starts when high stress causes the body to produce abnormally high levels of the hormone, cortisol.
This shows its first symptoms in the stomach area with extra fat and water storage.
From there, a spiral ensues and most people give in to a cycle of thoughts of lower self esteem followed by unhealthy
and fattening eating habits. Doctors recommend a carefully monitored combination of a weight loss/exercise program and
an appetite suppressant such as Phentermine diet pills. A non prescription alternative that is commonly recommended
is Phentramin, which imitates the effects of the prescription version.
