In my last post I wrote on stress, I mentioned the physical symptoms of it. So let us look in more detail of how these physical symptoms actually affect the body.
SLEEPLESSNES
Lack of sleep affects the central nervous system. The central nervous system is responsible for its sending and receiving messages from and to the brain. If this is disrupted, then its difficult for the body to function. Lack of sleep leaves your brain so tired that it becomes slow in functioning. It cant process information as fast as it normally does. This means the individual will lack in performing their daily activities as they would have normally done. This can add more to the stressful life of the individual since it will cause more problems for the individual.
TENSION PAIN AND HEADACHE
These headaches, are experienced periodically by more than one-third of adults. They involve both sides of the head and generally feel like a tightness in the forehead or back of the neck. A cause can also be lack of sleep which is also one of the affects of stress. Therefore the one symptoms can be the cause of another.
TENSION PAIN
Stress causes muscle tension. Stress causes muscles to contract, and after a while this contraction leads to tension. Therefore how you respond to the stress may also affect future muscle aches. There are relaxation activities and exercises that can reduce muscle tension. Tension in the shoulders is one of them. You might note that they feel stiff with contracting muscles that often reach up into the neck as well. Your legs may become tight and contracted. Although it might just seem like a minor thing, this can cause cramps and even make you lose sleep at night.
There are relaxation activities and exercises that can reduce muscle tension.
HEART RACING
Our bodies may be respond to current stressful situations in our lives, by creating more adrenaline and cortisol to prepare us for action (the fight or flight response). This increases our heart rate when we feel stressed. Furthermore when our heart races, it makes us feel even more anxious and overwhelmed. This could also bring on panic attack (which will be discussed in my further posts). However if feeling any form of continuous abnormal heartrate or chest pain, you should seek medical advice from a medical practitioner.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Your body produces a surge of hormones when you're in a stressful situation. These hormones temporarily increase your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow.
Stress can cause hypertension through repeated blood pressure elevations as well as by stimulation of the nervous system to produce large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones that increase blood pressure. Factors affecting blood pressure through stress include, job strain, race, social environment, and emotional distress.
A WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM
Stress can reduce the number of natural killer cells or lymphocytes in the body, which are needed to fight viruses, according to the American Psychological Association.
Ongoing stress makes us susceptible to illness and disease because the brain sends defence signals to the endocrine system, which then releases an array of hormones that not only gets us ready for emergency situations but severely depresses our immunity at the same time. Some experts claim that stress is responsible for as much as 90% of all illnesses and diseases, including cancer and heart disease. The way it does this is by triggering chemical reactions and flooding the body with cortisol that, among other things, decreases inflammation, decreases white blood cells and NK cells (special cells that kill cancer), increases tumor development and growth, and increases the rate of infection and tissue damage.
GASTRIC REFLUX AND STOMACH ULCERS
Stress can induce reflux esophagitis because it increases the esophageal mucosal permeability. Stress can worsen acid reflux symptoms, and anxiety is a natural response to stress in the body. Paradoxically, experiencing anxiety can also in itself be stressful, which can continue the cycle. There is some evidence to suggest that stress and anxiety may provoke acid reflux or make the symptoms worse. Stress causes your brain to turn up pain receptors or deplete substances that protect your stomach from acid.
If these symptoms start worsening or starts affecting your daily activities, then its time to consult your healthcare professional.
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