You’re reading 10 Ways Chronic Stress Is Killing Your Quality Of Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Stress is something which is almost unavoidable in modern life. While the right amount of stress motivates individual performance, it is necessary if you could distinguish whether your stress is good or chronic. Chronic stress derives from repeated interaction of the body to intense and stressful situations, contributing to the release of stress hormone. The stress is troublesome when it comes to chronic, which can trigger physical and emotional imbalances. We are here to show you 10 harmful impacts of chronic stress. Reading on to know 10 ways that chronic stress is killing your quality of life and why you should manage stress for your own well-being.
- Stress Lowers Your Brain Functions
It might be wrong of you to think that working with tensions all the time will make you more alert and work more effectively in the long run. Conversely, it reduces your ability to concentrate and makes you more prone to making mistakes.
Researchers have shown that chronic stress has negative effects on memory and concentration by killing brain cells. It increases the activity level and number of neuron connection in the amygdala, which is your brain’s fear center.
Due to the hormone cortisol released in long period of time, the electric signal in the hippocampus which is part of the brain associated with learning, memory and stress control will be deteriorated. High level of cortisol can even literally cause your brain to shrink inside and compromise neurotransmitter function, which will affect your decision making and judgment. Worst yet, since we lose brain cells, we naturally age. The risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease is also higher.
- Stress Increases Risk Of Heart Attacks
When it comes to harmful impacts of chronic stress, there is a firm link between chronic stress and the risk for cardiovascular diseases. When individuals suffer from stress day by day, higher heart rate and force along with arteries constriction will happen within the body. It causes the inability of them to regenerate red blood cells during the stressful period, therefore thickening the blood and damaging blood vessel linings. The higher blood pressure level provokes the incidence of inflammation and atherosclerosis, a common risk factor for stroke.
- Stress Triggers Immune System Overdrives
Stress has a strong connection to the harassing of your immune system. Therefore, stress triggers your body’s inflammation. Your immune system may react to the foreign invaders by sending out immune compounds called cytokines to fight off the inflamed cells. These compounds by chance can destroy healthy cells in an effort to eliminate external factors, which will leave the body at risk for illnesses such as the colds or flu. In addition, inflammation has a close connection to many health conditions and diseases, which typically are arthritis, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases.
- Stress Affects Sexuality
An overdrive of stress may reduce sexual desire in both males and females. In particular, stress will change hormones which are associated with menopause. It contributes to premenstrual syndrome in women and even reduces fertility.
Stress during prenatal causes a higher risk of getting premature birth and miscarriage, which can passively and negatively affect infants. For men, the erectile dysfunction will ruin their sexual life sooner or later if they still undergo stress frequently.
- Stress Dials Down Your Moods And Sleeping Quality
A constant stress can interfere your sleeping patterns which will leave your night full of fatigue and even insomnia. You are likely to be sleepy but feel difficult to sleep and may end up moving around. Your sleeping quality is affected badly by the disruption of the circadian rhythm which aggravates tension headaches, joint pain, and muscle pain.
Sedentary, sluggish, low concentration and inefficient reaction may visit you more often, which then ultimately dampens your exhilaration, thereby resulting in anxiety and mood swings.
Stress also disrupts serotonin, adrenaline and cortisol levels by compromising neurotransmitter functions in the brain. Negative moods, hot tempers and feelings of helplessness can affect interpersonal relationships and downgrade your quality of life.
- Stress Damages Your Teeth, Hair, And Skin Condition
Imbalance condition of your hormones caused by stress response may decrease the blood flow needed for the skin to glow. Not only the skin, but several body parts such as your teeth and hair are also affected. In worst cases, severe symptoms such as psoriasis, rosacea, acne and hives have all possibility to appear and ruin your day. Hair loss and gum disease have also been linked to stress.
- Stress Links To Digestive Disorders
There are evidences why chronic stress can contribute to various digestive disorders. Since our body uses up all available energy for combating stress, other processes that need energy fuel like digestion are interrupted. Common symptoms include floated stomach, constipation, cramping and diarrhea. Other ailments relates to acid reflux, ulcers and irritated bowel syndrome.
- Stress Adds In Gaining Weight
Among bad impacts of chronic stress, gaining weight seems common. Since digestion is associated with your body weight, a significant change in your weight occurs sooner or later. Hormone cortisol is the common reason for belly fat accumulation, which will worsen cravings for fat, salt and sugar. They are mostly unhealthy carbs which can soothe your feeling of stressful and lessen the imbalance of hormones due to stress response. Yet, it unfortunately can be a bad habit which leads to serious diseases related to cardiovascular and diabetes.
- Stress Worsens Pain Severely
Being stressed out can cause us to feel pain, stems from headaches, joint pain, muscle soreness and other arthritis type pains. In worst case, it leads to tension headaches which will damage your daily life in a long period. Medicine can help; however, it deepens pain after the drugs wear off and remains more stress and depressing. Doing regular exercises or taking a walk with a relaxing mind may alleviate the problem.
- Stress Contributes To Addiction
When chronic stress aggravates individuals, many people choose to escape it by self-soothing behaviors and activities with negative addictions such as alcohol, tobacco and drugs. In an attempt to reduce impacts of chronic stress, they are prone to play games and watch television for hours, or eat excessively which will double the negative effects towards their body. Their dopamine and serotonin levels will increase, but just temporary.
Replace those bad habits with other healthy activities like meditation and regular exercises to avoid negative surroundings outside the workplace. Consult a medical professional for better instructions if you recognize any signs of chronic stress.
Victoria Tan is a Health and Beauty expert who has more than 8 years of experience in Health Care industry. For more health care tips on healthy living, visit her at the website TrueRemedies.com. There, you will find posts on natural treatments, recipes, healthy foods, and so much more.
You’ve read 10 Ways Chronic Stress Is Killing Your Quality Of Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
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