How Stress Kills Your Body Slowly: The Hidden Damage You Must Know

 Stress is a common part of life; we all experience some level of stress as a result of work, school, money, relationships, and/or health challenges. Chronic stress (long-term) can have long-term negative effects on your health (body and mind) without your knowledge.

Because many people only think of stress as being emotional, they do not realize that chronic stress is also physically damaging to almost all organs in the body (including brain, heart, immune system, digestion, and hormones), as well as shortening the length of life.

In this article, (i.e., what you will learn about stress is how it slowly destroys your body- warning signs of stress- how to protect your health).

Stress is the body's response to danger and/or pressure. When you are stressed, your body produces hormones such as:

• Adrenaline
• Cortisol
• Noradrenaline

These hormones, according to science, are used in response to an emergency when your body goes into "fight or flight" mode. Although these hormones help in the short term (emergencies), when they are produced continuously through chronic stress (weeks, months, years), they can be dangerous to your health.

1. Stress Has a Negative Impact on Brain Function and Memory

Your brain is one of the first places that demonstrates the effects of chronic stress. The effects of stress on the brain include:

• The hippocampus becomes smaller (the area of the brain responsible for memory storage) 
• Reduced ability to concentrate and learn 
• Brain fog (difficulty thinking clearly) 
• Forgetfulness - Increased risk for developing anxiety and/or depression

2. Immune Function is Suppressed by Stress

Your immune system is your body’s defense against all harmful bacteria and viruses. When you are experiencing chronic levels of stress, your body’s ability to respond to harmful pathogens becomes diminished.

The impact of chronic stress on immunity:

• More frequent illnesses
• Slower healing-time for wounds
• Higher incidence of infections
• Increased risk for autoimmune diseases

Long-term elevated cortisol levels make it difficult for your body to effectively combat pathogenic organisms.

3. Long-Term Stress Diminishes the Health of Your Heart

Chronic stress is a silent killer of your cardiovascular system.

Chronic stress increases:

• Your blood pressure
• Your heart rate
• Your levels of Cholesterol

Your likelihood of developing heart disease or having a heart attack/stroke

Individuals experiencing chronic stress have been shown to have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, which is one of the primary causes of mortality worldwide.

4. Digestive System is Deteriorated by Stress

The gut-brain axis shows how closely related your brain and gut are to each other. Stress is a major contributing factor to poor digestion.

Problems associated with stress on digestion include:

• Abdominal pain
• Acid reflux
• Diarrhea/Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Lack of appetite/Overeating

Chronic stress alters gut bacteria and slows down the digestive process resulting in long-term gastrointestinal problems.

5. Hormonal Imbalance is Caused by Stress

Hormones control nearly every aspect of bodily fnction. Chronic stress causes hormonal imbalance in your body.

Stress causes hormonal imbalance by:

• Weight gain/loss
• Thyroid issues
• Thyroid dysfunctions in women
• Low testosterone levels in men
• Difficulty conceiving

Cortisol competes with various other hormones and disrupts the natural balance of your hormones in your body.

6. Stress can lead to increased body fat and unhealthy weight gain.

Reasons Stress Increased Body Fat/Weight Gain:

• Increased cravings for sugar and junk food
• Metabolism is slowed down
• Body stores excess fat in the stomach area
• Affects emotional eating habits
• Elevated levels of cortisol tell the body to store body fat, often in the midsection area.

Stress can increase the rate at which your body ages. 

7. Stress-Aging Relationship

• Shortens telomeres (markers for how old a cell is)
• Causes skin concerns such as wrinkles
• Increases risk of developing diseases associated with aging

Persons who experience long-term stress tend to look older than they actually are.

8. Stress can negatively impact the quality of your sleep. 

Sleep is vital to healing the body, and stress reduces the quality of your sleep.

Effects of Stress on Sleep:

• Insomnia
• Difficulty getting to sleep
• Bad dreams
• Often waking up tired

Poor sleep is often a precursor to increased stress levels, contributing to a cycle of stress.

9. Stress is a big contributor to poor mental health.

Mental Health Issues that are Caused by Chronic Stress:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Panic attacks
• Burnout syndrome
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

If you do not address chronic stress in your life, it will prompt negative emotional health issues.

10. Stress also has an effect on the health of your skin and hair.

Skin and Hair Problems Due to Stress

• Acne
• Eczema and Psoriasis
• Hair loss
• Premature Gray Hair

Stress triggers hormones that increase inflammation, which can damage skin and hair follicles.

11. Damage to Muscle and Bone From Stress

Stress is a major contributor to tension and discomfort in both the muscles and the bones.

Symptoms:

• Headaches (Tension headache)
• Pain in back (Not an uncommon cause)
• Discomfort in neck / shoulder area
• Clenching of the jaw

Long-term stress can also weaken bone structure by inducing changes in hormones.

12. Increased Risk of Chronic Disease Due to Stress

Chronic stress increases the chance of developing many serious diseases, including:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Heart Disease
• Alzheimers Disease
• Cancer (Indirectly caused by lower immunity)

Stress is not an instant killer, but will simultaneously build on existing risk factors leading to disease.

Symptoms That Are Harmful Due To Stress

You are at risk for harm due to stress if you have:

• Constant fatigue (Inability to obtain a sufficient amount of physical activity and energy)
• Frequent headaches (Other types of headache usually not related)
• Digestive issues (Irritable bowel syndrome, etc.)
• Chest pain / high blood pressure (Primary risk factors for heart disease)

Memory loss

• Sleep disruption (Too few hours / Too much noise)
• Anxiety / depression (Often not the case)
• Frequent colds (Weakened immune system)
• Weight gain / weight loss (Both potential deleterious results of stress)

All these symptoms are indications of how stress is adversely impacting your wellbeing.

Why Stress Is So Harmful

Because of the following reasons, stress can be lethal:

• It builds up over a long period of time
• Symptoms develop slowly
• Most people dismiss things that happen to them as being normal
• Effects of damage due to stress accumulate over a period of time
• Many people die from stress related diseases without realizing it was caused by stress.

How to Alleviate Stress and Protect Your Wellbeing

1. Practice Deep Breathing

Deep breathing reduces cortisol levels, allowing for relaxation of your nervous system.

2. Exercise on a Regular Basis

Exercise releases endorphins which act as natural products that lower your level of stress.

3. Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep Each Day

Adequate sleep repairs your physical and mental well-being.

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Dehydration leads to increased levels of stress as well as fatigue.

5. Food Selection

Eating a healthy diet composed of whole foods (including fruits & veggies), whole grains, proteins.

6. Mental & Spiritual Clarity

Meditation & prayer calm both your body and mind.

7. Limit Your Social Media & News Use

Excessive negative media & news increase your level of stress.

8. Reach Out to Others

Expressing how you feel through talking or sharing allows you to de-stress.

9. Time Management Skills

Being unorganized creates extra levels of stress for you.

10. Get Professional Help

If you feel overwhelmed by your level of stress consult with a medical professional (doctor or therapist).

Stress is not only a physical reaction, but it is an actual force that devastates the human body over an extended period of time. Prolonged pressures create irreversible brain damage, heart failure, lowered immunity, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, and deterioration to mental health. Over your lifetime this will increase your vulnerability to serious diseases and will negatively impact the duration of your life.

The good news is that, through simple lifestyle changes; improving sleep, eating better, exercising regularly, and relaxing mentally you can help support your body and live a long & healthy life!