What is stress and how does it happen?
Stress is a regular event in human lives even in animals. When an unwanted event gives pressure on the brain then it reacts in certain ways in response to a stressor and that is called stress. It is mandatory to know Effect of stress on your body in this fast pace stressful life.
When stressor comes into the brain, the brain’s special region called the hypothalamus guides the adrenal gland to generate stress hormone called CORTISOL and which runs into the blood and gives effect many organs of the body.
Read more: What is Stress? : How Does stress happen?
When stress is regular event in your life then it is called as chronic stress and it has below symptoms:
- Insomnia
- Heartburn
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Regular fast breathing
- Frequent headache
Let us understand effect of stress on your body in details
Effect of stress on your body
Let’s go through one by one of our body system and organ.
Effect of stress on the Nervous system
Your central nervous system generates stress hormones in response to fight stressors. It is a normal and natural mechanism and it must be working. Imagine you are facing a lion suddenly from nowhere and your central nervous system is not generating signals to produce cortisol! You stood as it in in-front of the lion and you have no emotions and then the lion eats you!.
It is good to have stress hormones as I said earlier
But if it becomes a regular event in your life then it badly hearts your nervous system as well. It has a deep impact on your sleep cycle.
Chronic stress gives a very bad impact on the nervous system and you develop insomnia due to this. Due to stress, your memory becomes weak.
Effect of stress on the Cardio system
As a normal reaction, the heart is beating fast due to stress but chronic stress gives the heart to beat fast on daily basis and hence you develop high blood pressure. Stress hormone gives an impact on blood vessels to constrict and divert more blood oxygen to muscles to have more strength on the action, but regular such events harm your muscle system and you develop unnecessary pressure in your muscle system and hence it will increase blood pressure in your body and harms your heart badly.
You have the risk of heart strokes or heart attack if stress is regular in your life and body.
But the good news is you can manage stress OR reduce chronic stress conditions in a yogic way.
Read more: Manage Stress: Yoga, Pranayama and lifestyle
Effect of stress on the respiratory system
Stress gives fast breaths and it gives more oxygen! But it causes a hyperventilation effect in your respiratory system. Hyperventilation is good and bad but if it continues to be a regular scenario in your body then it is a bad thing.
Chronic stress can give asthma and other lung diseases.
Effect of stress on the Muscular system
When you are under stress your muscles are tense to protect from stressors. After the stressor is gone it will relax, but if you are constantly under stress conditions then your muscles will not get a chance to relax!
Hence, tight muscles give you shoulder pain, headache, back pain and muscle/body pain. Over a period of time if you are not doing exercise or yoga then the situation shall become worse.
Effect of stress on the Digestive system
The digestive system plays a very important part in your life. If you have a bad digestive system then you have a great chance that you have a lot of diseases in your body!
According to Ayurveda, Bad ‘Pachan Shakti’ – the power of digestion gives 80 diseases together!
Chronic or frequent stress enables the liver to produce unnecessary glucose (blood sugar)! In normal circumstances, it is good to have more energy but if the liver produces an unnecessary dose of Glucose then it is very dangerous and you may develop diabetes.
Rush or cortisol hormone, rapid fast breathing, increased heart rate, tense muscles give bad digestive system as well, so it is a vicious cycle!
Also, stress disturbs the food track and acid influxes in the stomach hence it gives constipation.
Read more: Manage Stress: Yoga, Pranayama and lifestyle
Effect of stress on sexuality and reproductive system
Stress gives a direct effect on the reproductive system. In man, the Testosterone level goes low and this situation will drop sperm production and causes erectile dysfunction. In women, stress can affect the menstrual cycle, and it can give more painful periods. Chronic stress can enhance menopause symptoms.
