How Does Stress Affect Health

As our understanding of the health issues caused by stress develop, some of the old beliefs about stress need to be re evaluated. It was often thought that the suffering from too much stress over a prolonged period could lead to the development of stomach ulcers, but recent research indicates that stress is not a major factor in this disease.

There is evidence that stress can play a part in the development of a number of health related problems. At some time in their lives, most people will have suffered from the effect of stress like headaches, tightening of the muscles, increased blood pressure, increased heart beat or breathlessness, and an upset stomach. These effects are often very short term and disappear as soon as the stressful situation is over. Because it is a temporary short term reaction, this form of stress will not cause any long term health problems.

The real heath hazard from stress comes from prolonged exposure to stressful situations, which can have a detrimental health effect in a number of areas. This type of chronic stress is much more damaging to health that the temporary stress that we experience from time to time.

A number of studies have shown that chronic stress can have an effect on the body' s immune system. Perhaps surprisingly, this effect can be both positive and negative. Most of us are familiar with the  'fight or flight' response to a perceived threat. In this situation the stress can trigger the release of chemicals into the bloodstream that can help to fight infections and speed up recovery from wounds.

The danger to health comes when this 'fight or flight' response is triggered in situations where there is no physical danger, and it is only the individuals perception of the situation that is causing these chemicals to be released. The result of this can be a decrease in the body's immune system which then has an impaired ability to fight infections and can make you more susceptible to catching colds, flu and other viruses.

Studies also found that prolonged stress can lead to fatigue and often depression. Imagine the situation when you are feeling very stressed out by some issue in your life, but you can't see any way out of the situation or problem. This can lead to a sense of hopelessness and despair, which can eventually develop into depression.

Chronic stress can also have an impact on the circulatory system. If the stress hormones released by a 'fight or flight' situation can't be dissipated by physical activity, it can cause physiological stress on the body. This can increase blood pressure and pose an increase risk of heart attacks.

Stress has also been known to have a detrimental effect on people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. This may be linked to the effects of stress on the body' s immune system and it's ability to defend itself against many different diseases or viruses.

There is no doubt that taking effective steps to reduce your levels of stress will have a positive impact on your physical and mental health and can help to minimise a range of health problems.