Stress is identified as a state of physical and emotional stress caused by the presence of a disturbing element, known as stressor. This stressor is perceived as a challenge, attack or damage by our body, which responds accordingly to overcome it.
It is, therefore, a natural reaction that allows us to successfully face difficult, dangerous or unknown situations. However, this good side of stress is often forgotten and the negative effects of stress are almost always talked about, which are precisely what we are going to dedicate ourselves to in this article.
Chronic vs Acute Stress
As a useful reaction, stress is a acute reaction that subsides once the stressor wears off. Negative health effects appear when stress is suffered chronically for long periods of time, even without easily recognizable stressors.
The most common causes of chronic stress are related to everyday situations that are not easy to change. For example, relationship problems, work problems or economic problems. These stressful situations can go on for months or years and over time we can get so used to stress that we are not even aware of its negative effects.
effects of stress
A state of chronic stress has negative effects on our health due to the neuroendocrine changes that are generated. The first symptoms to appear are changes in the emotional state, but the consequences of stress can affect practically any part of the body.
Emotional, cognitive and behavioral effects
On an emotional level, stress causes anxietyinability to relax, moodiness, irritability, lack of motivation and, in more advanced stages, depression which can be severe.
Episodes of sleeping a lot alternate with episodes of sleeping very little. The state of nervousness usually makes eat morealthough generally also worse. It can also cause you to neglect responsibilities, go into social isolation, and even start or increase your use of alcohol, tobacco, or medication to help you relax.
The state of irritability and sadness, together with these behavioral changes, can have negative consequences on social and family relationships.
On the cognitive level, there is an inability to concentrate and they may appear memory problems. It can lead to a detriment in the ability to judge and generate a constant state of worry and negativity.
physical effects
The changes in the nervous system and in the endocrine system that occur in the stress response are intended for short-term situations, but if they are maintained for long periods of time, they have negative effects on many organs and systems.
Among the most outstanding effects we can mention:
- musculoskeletal system: Chronic stress creates high levels of muscular tension maintained for long periods of time. It can lead to side effects, for example dizziness and migraines due to constant muscle tension in the neck and shoulder area.
- respiratory system: Shortness of breath caused by stress can be an inconspicuous problem for most people, but it can be more serious in patients with lung disease, such as COPD, asthma, or emphysema. In the case of intense acute stress, hyperventilation can even occur in asthma attacks.
- Cardiovascular system: acute stress, for example driving and braking urgently to avoid an accident, causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This is mainly due to the effect of epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol. These effects maintained over time increase the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, heart attacks or strokes. In women, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases after menopause; this is due to the higher levels of estrogen before menopause which help the blood vessels to respond better to stress.
- Endocrine system: under stress, the hypothalamus stimulates the autonomic nervous system and the pituitary gland begins to release epinephrine and cortisol, known as stress hormonesresponsible for most of the effects of stress. The release of epinephrine in the adrenal glands is also stimulated. At higher levels of cortisol and epinephrine, the liver releases more glucose into the blood. The body can cope with this increase in blood glucose, even in situations of sustained recurrent stress. But in people sensitive to Type 2 diabetes, it can be a triggering factor.
- Digestive system: changes in eating habits can favor the appearance of esophageal reflux, especially if the consumption of alcohol and tobacco increases. The brain becomes more sensitive to sensations in the stomach and sensations of tingling, nausea and even pain may be experienced. Chronic stress favors the appearance of ulcers and pain due to spasms. In addition, it can cause both diarrhea and constipation, both effects being able to alternate.
- Nervous system: the Autonomic Nervous System is directly involved in the physical effects of stress, especially the Sympathetic System, which is what stimulates the release of stress hormones. In the long term, the constant activation of stress responses causes tiredness and is responsible for lack of motivation, irritability and most of the emotional effects associated with chronic stress.
- Male reproductive system: stress, through the nervous system, stimulates the production of testosterone. In the long term it can affect sperm production and sperm maturation. It can also cause erectile dysfunction.
- Female reproductive system: stress can affect the menstrual cycle and cause irregularities, absences, changes in duration and painful periods. Also, it can worsen PMS symptoms, such as fluid retention, twitching, or emotional swings. The hormonal changes that occur during menopause are related to anxiety and are a stressor in themselves.