Prolonged stress and anxiety can be taxing not just on our mind, but our bodies too. See here’s the thing: when faced with a stressful situation, your body releases hormones that include adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. Left unchecked, you may be faced with a host of health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic illness.
Recognizing these physical manifestations of stress can take you a step closer to managing it. Here’s a look at the impact of chronic stress on your body:
Pain, tightness, or soreness in your muscle
Notice a tightness in your muscles, especially your upper body, when you’re overwhelmed? This is your body’s response to a stressor. Your muscles naturally tense up in response to a perceived danger so as to protect you against injury.
Heart and lung problems
When you’re stressed, adrenaline and cortisol both work in tandem to increase your heart rate and cause your blood pressure to go up. This is almost always accompanied by breathlessness as well.
This may prove to be a big hurdle for those who already have asthma, high blood pressure, or any form of heart and/or lung disease.
Skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, or psoriasis, stress can make it worse
Regardless of our age, today’s product positioning and marketing landscape have made us strive even harder for flawless skin and smooth, shiny hair. However, with chronic stress, this might as well be a pipe dream because of the gamut of skin conditions that it brings.
From eczema to rosacea to psoriasis, there are a plethora of skin issues that could potentially cause even more stress once they manifest in your body.
Tension headaches, tightness in the neck and jaw
High-strung muscles don’t just result in back and neck pain — it also causes tension headaches and migraines that render you out of commission for the next hours or even days. Chronic stress is likely to blame for the pulsing in your head. On top of this, you may also feel nauseated and be extra sensitive to sound and light.
Lower immune system
Now here’s the even more alarming part: chronic stress lowers your immune system. Being in a constant state of stress will weaken your body so it will not be as good in fighting off foreign invaders such as the novel coronavirus. This also makes you more susceptible to flu and colds.
The Takeaway
Prolonged stress can have physical manifestations in your body. However, you can still take the necessary steps in managing it and take a load off the mental and emotional pressure that you might be experiencing. Incorporate more healthy habits into your day and practice mindfulness to keep stress from getting out of control.
Another way to lower your stress is to get a Medical Alert system. A Medical Alert system = can help give you peace of mind knowing that you always have someone available to you at a simple push of a button. In an emergency situation or not, it’s good to know someone will always be there for you.
If you want to know more about how stress can impact your body in the long run, be sure to consult with your doctor right away.