As of 2023, frequent stress affected 49% of Americans. Since almost half of Americans experience frequent stress, it likely affects you or a family member, so you may wonder how bad chronic stress is for your health. Understanding the health impact of chronic stress, signs of chronic stress, and ways to manage it can help you prevent it from impacting your health.
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What Is Chronic Stress? How Does It Differ From Acute Stress?
Acute stress is a response to an incident, like a car accident or an argument with your spouse.
Chronic stress is persistent. People with chronic stress feel overwhelmed for extended periods. Incidents may exacerbate the pressure associated with chronic stress. Causes of chronic stress include loneliness.
Can Chronic Stress Lead To Long-Term Illnesses?
Experiencing long-term symptoms of chronic stress can impact your health and cause the following health problems:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Stroke
- Weakened immune system
A stroke can cause paralysis. High blood pressure and obesity increase the risks of coronary artery disease and diabetes. A weakened immune system increases the risks of recurring illnesses and makes it harder for your body to fight off severe or long-term illnesses.
What Is The Relationship Between Chronic Stress And Heart Health?
The relationship between chronic stress and hormonal balance can cause heart health issues. Stress prompts your body to release hormones, disrupting your hormonal balance. This increases your heart rate and affects your blood vessels, increasing your blood pressure.
High blood pressure can cause multiple symptoms, including the following:
- Abnormal heart rate
- Blurred vision
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
You have a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke if you have high blood pressure.
Chronic stress also triggers inflammation, causing plaque buildup in your arteries, narrowing the passageway, and making it harder to pump blood to your heart. Your heart has to work harder to do its job, increasing the risks of a heart attack and other heart health issues.
What Is The Relationship Between Chronic Stress And Cancer?
Stress prompts your body to release hormones, which prevent your body from destroying damaged cells. It also causes your blood supply to increase. The combination increases the risk that cancerous tumors will develop.
Chronic stress also weakens your immune system because it reduces the number of white blood cells in your body. White blood cells fight cancer. Consequently, if you have cancer and are suffering from chronic stress, it will be harder for your body to fight the cancer.
Can Chronic Stress Increase The Risk Of Developing Diabetes?
Chronic stress can trigger hyperglycemia, increasing your blood sugar levels. Chronic stress can also cause insulin resistance. Since high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance increase the risk of diabetes, people with chronic stress are more likely to develop diabetes.
What Role Does Chronic Stress Play In Weight Gain Or Loss?
Chronic stress increases the risks of weight gain because it can trigger increased food consumption and unhealthy food consumption. For some, chronic stress leads to weight loss because they stop eating regularly or increase their activity levels.
How Does Chronic Stress Contribute To Aging And Lifespan Reduction?
Chronic stress triggers hormone production, which prematurely ages your skin and causes your hair to turn gray, making you look older.
Since chronic stress also increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, it can also cause premature death.
What Are The Signs That You Might Be Experiencing Chronic Stress?
If you have insomnia and start spending more time alone, you may have chronic stress. Other chronic stress symptoms include the following:
- Aches
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Nausea
- Pain
- Sexual dysfunction
- Stiff muscles
- Unfocused thinking
Ways To Reduce Chronic Stress
Identifying ways to reduce chronic stress is crucial for one’s well-being.
What Lifestyle Changes Can Help Reduce Chronic Stress?
Chronic stress can trigger a chicken-and-egg dilemma with your health. If you’re stressed, you’re more likely to suffer from insomnia. Conversely, not getting enough sleep can cause stress.
Some ways to reduce chronic stress include the following:
- Control your thoughts: Avoid dwelling on issues that cause stress.
- Eat healthy foods: A healthy diet strengthens your immune system, combats symptoms of chronic stress, and protects your health.
- Exercise: Your body releases endorphins when you exercise. Endorphins promote positive feelings, helping control your stress levels.
- Focus on time management: Prioritizing tasks helps you avoid stress from feeling overwhelmed.
- Meditate: Meditating helps clear your mind, which can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.
- Therapy: Therapy can help you identify issues causing stress and ways to manage or resolve those issues.
Regular exercise and meditation can prevent insomnia, giving you the rest you need.
Are There Any Medical Tests Or Treatments For Managing Chronic Stress?
You should consult your doctor if you think you’re suffering from chronic stress. Your doctor may recommend a preventative medical scan to determine whether chronic stress has impacted your health. Preventative health scans generate images of what’s happening inside your body.
Your doctor may recommend any of the following medical imaging tests:
- Bone density: Measuring bone mass density helps determine one’s risk of developing osteoporosis. Early detection and intervention can increase bone mass density and reduce health risks.
- CT coronary calcium score test: This health scan measures the calcified or hardened plaque volume in your arteries. Identifying and treating calcified plaque buildup can prevent a heart attack.
- Full body: Full-body scans can detect cancer throughout your body and identify signs of heart disease. They provide the information needed to diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, and other health issues.
- Heart: Heart health scans confirm whether plaque is building up in your arteries, which can lead to coronary artery disease and heart disease. Quitting smoking, altering your diet, and exercising can help you manage plaque buildup. Your doctor can help you reduce the amount of plaque by prescribing medication.
- Lungs: Lung scans can identify tumors in their earliest stages, and treating lung cancer in its earliest stages increases survival rates.
- Virtual colonoscopy: Virtual colonoscopies detect colon cancer. Early detection ensures appropriate treatment and increases survival rates.
What Role Does Nutrition Play In Managing Chronic Stress?
Nutritious foods help reduce inflammation, which reduces the risks of coronary artery disease and other health issues. Ensuring you get enough magnesium in your diet can also help manage stress levels and get a restful sleep at night.
Start Managing Your Health With A Preventative Medical Scan
Booking a preventative medical scan near you can provide answers about the impact of chronic stress on your health. It can give you peace of mind or allow you to get appropriate treatment, enabling you to combat the impact of chronic stress and restore your health.
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Sources:
Chronic stress can cause heart trouble. (2020).
Dai, S., et al. (2020). Chronic Stress Promotes Cancer Development.
Fioroni, S., et al. (2024). Americans Sleeping Less, More Stressed.
Hasan, N. (2022). 6 Signs You Have a Weakened Immune System.
