The impact of stress on our physical health

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While stress is a common condition that everyone is familiar with, the actual impact of experiencing stress on our physical health (especially in the long run) is less well-known. Find out more about the nature of stress and the effect it has on our bodies in this expert article from Pharmica – the UK’s leading online pharmacy.

Defining Stress:

Stress is a normal bodily response to specific stimuli that has naturally developed in humans over the course of evolution. The whole purpose of a stress response is to protect us from perceived danger, allowing us to stay more alert and respond to a perceived threat.

Our brain responds by realising adrenaline from our adrenal glands in order to increase the heart rate as well as the body pressure to make us more alert in response to a potential threat. However, the systems responsible for the production of adrenaline and cortisol are not perfect and can often continue producing the chemicals, even when there is no perceived threat.

Prolonged production of those chemicals can start impacting our physical health in the long run by wearing out our blood vessels and arteries, affecting our ability to circulate blood effectively.

As a result, longer exposure to stress can lead to cardiovascular health issues as well as many other physical health complications outlined below:

Immune and Digestive Systems

Exposure to stress can negatively impact our immune and digestive systems. due to increased levels of inflammation caused by the over-production of stress-related chemicals. As a result, individuals who are exposed to prolonged exposure to stress might become more prone to infections and illnesses which further amplify the pressure applied on our bodies.

In addition, stress can also affect the digestive system’s performance due to its negative impact on the ability to effectively deliver blood to digestive organs. As a result, individuals who experience stress can be prone to digestive issues and deteriorated ability to process vitamins and nutrients from the diet.

Cardiovascular Complications

The impact of stress-related chemicals on our arteries and blood vessels can deteriorate our ability to effectively deliver blood around the body.

As a result, multiple systems can be affected such as reproductive health – the changes in hormone levels as well as the ability to deliver blood may result in conditions like infertility. For men, having a Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) can result in impotence due to blood flow complications, further amplified by the impact of stress on mental health. While the condition can be treated with effective erectile dysfunction treatments, finding a way to manage and cope with stress better can amplify the results even more.

Furthermore, constant stress and over-development of cortisol can result in an increased appetite as well as cravings for unhealthy foods that are high in fat and sugars, potentially resulting in weight gain.

While stress is a common condition, individuals may respond differently, resulting in different effects on their physical health. It is also important to know that stress-coping techniques also vary in their effectiveness os it is important to find the right technique that works best for you.

It is important to note that everyone responds to stress differently, and some people may be