Unexpected Ways Stress Affects Your Body

Stress can affect your body in ways you don’t realise. The effects of acute or chronic stress can cause physical problems such as a racing heartbeat, rapid breathing, and difficulty sleeping. But stress also affects your mood and behaviour. This can result in anxiety, irritability, burnout, or even depression.

Of course, everyone feels stress at some point. And doctors conclude that a reasonable amount of stress can even be good for us. Stress triggers a “fight or flight” response that can help you deal with potentially serious situations. However, when the triggers constantly go off, your health can start to suffer.

This article examines what medical research has reveals about the unexpected ways that stress can affect your body.

What is Stress?

Stress is the body’s natural reaction to situations in life. Acute stress happens when you have to deal with something short-term. And acute stress can have a positive effect on you. For example, this type of stress can prevent accidents, deal with problems quickly, or finish a task by its deadline.

Chronic stress usually happens over a more extended period. This type of stress could be due to money problems, trouble with your partner, or work problems. It’s this type of stress that can lead to many health problems.

The common effects of chronic stress may include high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, headaches, and an increased risk of a heart attack.

Related reading: How to deal with stress in the workplace.

Unexpected Ways Stress Affects Your Body

How can stress negatively impact your health? Doctors now know that your mind and emotions affect your physical body. For example, you may have felt nauseous when you’ve been under a lot of stress. Or some people find they come down with a cold after dealing with a stressful event.

Here are three unexpected ways that stress can affect your body.

Stress causes digestive problems

Scientists have discovered a connection between your gut and your brain. This two-way gut-brain connection means that feelings and thoughts trigger a gut response. For example, before giving a presentation, you may have felt “butterflies” in your stomach. Or you could experience a “gut-wrenching” emotion when you hear bad news.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School say that problems with the gut can also affect the mind. For example, people with gastrointestinal issues have lower pain thresholds. The researchers say that treating anxiety can help resolve some gastrointestinal conditions.

Related reading: The connection between your gut and anxiety.

Long-term stress weakens the immune system

Stress can have a positive and negative effect on the immune system. Some studies suggest that short-term stress stimulates immune activity. The “fight or flight” response gets the body ready to deal with infections, viruses and to heal wounds.

However, chronic stress has the opposite effect. The American Psychological Association says that people experiencing long-term stress suffer from weakened immunity. A weak immune system can affect everything from combating the common cold to recovering after surgery.

Doctors advise on finding ways to manage stress to improve overall health. Ways to deal with stress include regular exercise, getting adequate sleep, enjoying a healthy diet, and having a good network of friends.

Chronic stress can lead to depression

An unfortunate consequence of chronic stress is that it can contribute to mild or severe depression. Doctors have found that sustained stress affects the brain’s hormone levels. Long-term stress reduces serotonin and dopamine and increases the stress hormone cortisol. In some people, this chemical disbalance can lead to depression.

Unfortunately, this starts a cycle of stress and depression. Doctors from WebMD say that depression itself is a chronic stressor.

Long-term stress and Your Body

When you face challenging situations, your body releases hormones to help you cope. Usually, when the problem passes, hormone levels return to normal, and you feel more relaxed. However, under chronic stress, your body remains in a state of alert, even though there is no danger.

Unfortunately, many people don’t realise they have chronic stress. According to doctors, here are some common signs of stress:

• Forgetfulness
• Gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea or constipation
• Lack of energy
• Brain fog
• Frequent aches and pains
• Constant tiredness
• Stiff muscles
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs to relax

If you recognise the signs of stress, it’s helpful to take steps to reduce stress. In some cases, it’s a good idea to speak to someone in HR or a doctor if you’re finding it difficult to cope at work.