Physical Effects of Stress

Stress is defined as the body's response to overdose of anxiety. Anxious thoughts that cross our mind before attending a job interview or giving an important examination, gives rise to stress. Studies show that during a stressful event, the body releases stress hormones, which can trigger a wide range of health problems, that are commonly referred to as physical effects of stress.

Impact of Stress

A person under stress is uncomfortable and breathes rapidly. People working under tremendous pressure may also experience trembling hands and legs. Other health issues associated with stress are given below:

Irregular Bowel Movement
Too much stress can interfere with normal bowel movement. The onset of irregular bowel pattern may be sudden and occur in the form of diarrhea or constipation. It is not surprising to experience lose bowel movement in a stressful situation. People under stress may also have alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation.

High Blood Pressure
Stress can also cause a temporary shift in normal blood pressure levels. To be precise, too much stress can elevate blood pressure. In a stressful situation, a set of hormones are expelled into the blood stream by the adrenal gland. This will eventually raise blood pressure but as the stress fades away, blood pressure is likely to return within the normal range.

Abnormal Heart Rate
The heart beating faster is a common reaction in people exposed to high stress levels. With excess stress, the heart rate (number of heart beats per second) increase dramatically.

Body Pain
Negative effects of stress on the body can also manifest in the form of back pain. Stress induced backache and neck pain is a common phenomenon in today's hectic lifestyle. With exposure to stress, involuntary contraction of muscles may occur in the back and neck area. This decreases the blood circulation in that area, which may eventually give rise to discomfort.

Difficulty Sleeping
A good night's sleep is a distant possibility with an anxious mind. Worrying thoughts piercing the mind, simply won't allow the person to sleep properly.

Decreased Sex Drive
Stress can also have a negative impact on sex drive. People exposed to high levels of stress often complain about diminished sex drive. In other words, with excessive stress, sex life gets drastically affected.

Hair Loss
Hair loss has also been linked to stress. Receding hair lines or patchy hair loss is something that is strongly connected to stress. Be it family problems or major illness, the resultant stress can cause hair loss temporarily or stop hair growth permanently.

Long Term Impact of Stress

Insomnia
Sleepless nights from everyday stress is something that is common in today's cut-throat competition. Stress at home, or office can cause sleeplessness at night, and eventually make the person insomniac.

Diabetes
Exposure to high amount of stress can lead to sudden increase in blood sugar levels. Persistent worrying thought pondering in the mind, will put the person under constant stress, which may lead to diabetes.

Intestinal Disorders
With repetitive stress, digestive issues are likely to raise their ugly head in the form of intestinal problems. The person may suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, in which the colon (large intestine) is unable to carry out its routine tasks efficiently.

Heart Attack
Chronic high blood pressure is often the result of persistent stress. Studies also show that stress increases the likelihood of heart ailments. With long duration hypertension and uncontrolled stress, the person may eventually fall prey to heart attack.

Worsening of Existing Health Issues
Stress can also aggravate existing health problems. With persistent stress, patients with asthma are likely to complain about aggravation of symptoms. Skin diseases such as acne and pre-existing gastrointestinal problems such as GERD can also worsen with constant stress.

Weight Loss
Frequent stress can negatively affect the weight. This is because, stress can diminish the desire to eat food. This usually happens when the person is unable to cope up with stress. Poor appetite resulting from stress may eventually lead to weight loss.

Psychological Effects of Stress

Stress can also lead to mental instability. Some of the common psychological effects of stress are given below:

• Depression
• Lack of Confidence
• Decreased Concentration Levels
• Forgetfulness
• Low Self-esteem
• Mood Swings

Keep in mind that in today's fast paced life, one cannot escape from stress. The key is to manage it effectively. A 30 minute exercise routine, followed by a session of yoga and meditation can help to beat the stress. Meditation is commonly recommended for better stress management. This is an age-old remedy for stress relief and can work wonders to keep stress related illnesses at bay.