Almost everyone in the world has experienced stress during their lives. Around 85% of people say that they’re stressed regularly. While some anxiety is part of the human experience, chronic tension can have negative effects on the body. Simply put, stress isn’t good for the body. Being under chronic stress can lead to the following effects on the body.
Adrenal Damage
One of the effects of stress that has been discovered more recently is adrenal damage. To understand how anxiety affects these organs, it’s necessary to realize the adrenal glands’ role in the body. When a stressor is perceived, the body sends a danger signal to the adrenal glands. They start to produce epinephrine, which kickstarts the “fight-or-flight” response in the body. This body response is designed to provide enough energy to get away from the danger, which leads to quicker response times and increased muscle movement.
When the body is continuously putting out these signals as a result of chronic stress, the adrenal glands become overused and exhausted. They aren’t able to keep up with the body’s demand for epinephrine, which leads to fatigue, moodiness, and body aches. This condition is commonly referred to as adrenal fatigue and is only one type of adrenal insufficiency that can happen in the body. Because the body isn’t meant to be under constant threat, the adrenal glands can become damaged from overuse due to stress.
Heart Disease
Another common symptom of common stress is heart disease. When the body is tense, the heart tends to beat faster and harder, leading to a spike in blood pressure. Over time, this increased blood pressure can damage the lining of blood vessels and organs. When these sensitive tissues are impaired, they build up cells along the injury. After a while, this extra tissue disrupts the normal processes in the body, causing emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes. While it may seem like a mental stretch to link stress and heart disease, they are interwoven on their own.
Additionally, chronic stress increases the levels of cortisol in the body. When it’s balanced, cortisol molecules control blood sugar, repair tissues, and support metabolic function. However, when the body produces too much cortisol as a result of stress, the levels of both glucose and cholesterol molecules skyrocket. If left untreated, these unbalanced blood levels are some of the most common causes of heart disease. Without proper regulation, the systems that protect the body from threats can eventually lead to fatal diseases.
Chronic Tension
Finally, prolonged stress can lead to chronic physical tension in the body. When the adrenaline response hits, the muscles usually tense up. In most people, the muscles around the head and neck are the worst, with large knots forming as a result of tension. IN a period of prolonged stress, these muscle knots can lead to impaired movement, chronic pain, or migraines. The spinal muscles are incredibly strong and can cause misalignment of the joints if they’re too tense. When the body is under too much stress, these muscles won’t relax, leading to more painful conditions that require medical treatment.
Along similar lines, untreated muscle tension can cause difficulty sleeping. When the body doesn’t relax properly, comfortable and restful sleep is impossible. Low-quality sleep, in turn, leads to more stress, which just repeats the whole vicious cycle over again. Additionally, chronic muscle tension can leave the body susceptible to injury, as the joints don’t have the muscles protecting them at full strength. Reducing chronic muscle tension can be done through stretching, professional massage, or even chiropractic treatment at the best chiropractor in Naples FL.
For more extreme cases, it’s wise for people to seek medical treatment for displaced joints or severe discomfort. By managing stress, chronic muscle tension in the body can be reduced.
Overall, stress is a natural body response that can be harmful or helpful. While small amounts of stress are good for the body, chronic tension can lead to health issues if left untreated.
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