Stressing Our Health

The human body is indeed equipped to deal with stress. When the body detects stress, the hormones cortisol and adrenalin are discharged from the glands. This is okay, it is natural. However when the body has too much exposure to these hormones, this can mess up many essential functions. In time it will put the body at high risk for physical and mental illness.

The effects of long-term stress will disrupt the body’s ability to fight disease and infection. This in fact can lead to a long list of medical conditions such as autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, ulcers, heart disease, diabetes, migraines, obesity, infertility (preventing women from conceiving), irritable bowel syndrome, sexual dysfunction, tooth and gum disease, skin conditions, and possibly cancer. Researchers have found that 60% to 90% of all illness and doctor visits are brought on by stress. Stress can change the physical make up of the brain, causing emotional damage. This eventually can be responsible for an overactive nervous system and serious mental health conditions like anxiety, eating disorders, depression, and substance abuse.

Chronic stress to the body is far more serious than most people think. A lot of people go about their lives stressing and never thinking about the effects; as if that is the way it is supposed to be. Unaware that the more your body encounters stress, the more sensitive it becomes to it the smallest stressful situation, eventually leaving you unable to deal with everyday pressures, and making way for serious risk factors health wise. When gone untreated for long periods of time, most of this medical conditions and mental health problems can become very severe, and in some cases can be fatal.