Adverse Effects Of Stress On Health

When the body is under stress, several somatic (physical) processes take place which have direct negative impact on the health.

Acceleration of atherosclerosis certain hormones (like glucocorticoids) are released in the blood circulation when the body is compelled to react to stress.

These hormones have a devastating effect on the health of the individual under stress. They damage the walls of arteries, including the arteries supplying blood to heart (coronary arteries). The damage caused to the arteries is directly proportional to the amount of stress.

In the modern industrialization world, stress is one of the largest causes of illnesses. Stress is linked to the following diseases/disorders:

• Hypertension
• Backache
• Migraine headache
• Peptic ulcer
• Allergies
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Diabetes, etc.

Even though stress may nit be mentioned as the sole cause of death, it has now been well established as having its negative impact on health, thereby causing any of the disorders listed above. Stress is either the cause of or has aggravated the symptoms of these disorders in a large percentage of patients in the world in general.

How Stress impacts negatively on obesity, diabetes, hypertension and CVD (Cardiovascular Disease)

The direct detrimental effects of stress on health, especially cardiovascular health are:

• Stress raises blood pressure
• It raises blood sugar in diabetics
• It raises blood cholesterol
• It causes Spasms in the coronary arteries which may result in a sudden death.
• It causes injury to the walls of arteries (aggravation of atherosclerosis).

There are some indirect negative effects on of the stress on health.

• People with stress choose poor lifestyle habits
• They neglects physical activity and exercise
• They smoke
• They resort to alcoholic drinks
• They overeat and eat to often
• They eat junk food
• They resort to drug abuse.

The result of all these poor lifestyle habits is a double blow on the cardiovascular health. They become more obese, hypertension, cholesterol and all syndrome X disorders aggravates resulting in overall deterioration of health, and cardiovascular health in particular.