A Complete List Of Terrible Things Stress Does To Your Body

You're unable to meet certain targets at work or are stuck in traffic for a really long time. Awaiting results of an exam you've wanted to clear for years or even heading to a job interview. There are numerous situations in which the hypothalamus in the brain begins to release stress hormones. It leads to your heart racing at a faster pace with a quickening of breath and makes your muscles ready for action. While this function is designed to protect the body during emergencies, too much of it can have an adverse effect on the body.

Stress is a natural reaction to various experiences in life. Everyday responsibilities, personally and professionally, can make you feel stressed. For short-term situations, stress can actually be beneficial as it may help one tackle some extremely serious situations. But too much stress can lead to irritability, anxiety, depression, headaches, and insomnia.

Read below to know how stress affects different functions of the body: 

1. Here's how stress affects your central nervous and endocrine system:

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The central nervous system sends hypothalamus in the brain to release stress hormone. This, in turn, leads to speeding up of the heartbeat and blood rushing all over your body. This response will continue for longer than usual if it is not controlled. As a result, overeating, not eating enough, alcohol or drug abuse, or abstaining from social life are all likely to happen.

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2. Here's how the respiratory and cardiovascular systems respond to stress:

When in stress, you breathe faster so that the oxygen is equally distributed to all parts of the body. People suffering from chronic diseases find it even more difficult to breathe when they are under stress. The heart pumps faster and blood vessels constrict when in stress. Blood pressure is like to rise when one takes too much stress, thus increasing risks of heart attack.

3. The digestive system responds to stress in the following way:

Diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or stomach ache are all common after-effects of stress. Also, excessive stress makes the liver produce extra blood sugar or glucose for an energy boost. Too much of glucose can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Other effects of stress on the digestive system include heartburn and acid reflux.

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4. The muscular system's response to stress is as follows:

Muscles tend to contract when one is stressing. And overstressing might not give muscles the chance to relax. Too tight muscles can lead to headaches, back pain shoulder pains, and other body aches.

5. Stress affects sexuality and the reproductive system too:

Stress exhausts both your mind and body. It makes you lose the desire for sex and reduces testosterone levels in men. Erectile dysfunction and impotence can be caused by being in stress for too long. Stress leads to irregularities in menstrual cycles in women, along with heavier and more painful periods. Physical symptoms of menopause become more sever with chronic stress.

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6. Stress weakens immune system:

Taking stress for a prolonged period of time can weaken our immune system and reduce the body's ability to fight infections and bacteria. People become more prone to chronic sickness like cold, flu, etc. It also takes longer to recover when one takes stress for too long.