How Is Stress Affecting Your Health?
Stress is a part of life, and it is something that is very hard to avoid. A little bit of stress can actually be good for you, but when stress becomes chronic, then it can have a very negative impact on your health. Below are some of the negative effects that stress can have on your health:
Increase The Risk of Cancer
There was a recent study done where mice were given anticancer drugs. The results of the study showed that the anticancer drugs were less effective when the animals were under stress. Therefore, chronic stress could potentially increase the risk of cancer.
Brain Shrinkage
Even if you are very healthy, a stressful situation can take a toll on your brain. A team of researchers at Yale University have found that job loss, divorce and other stressful events can reduce the amount of gray matter in the brain. This can lead to psychiatric problems in the future.
Premature Aging in Children
There was a study done that followed British children who were between the ages of five and 10. The results of the study showed that the children who were abused or bullied had shorter telomeres. That was a sign that the children were aging faster.
Could Affect Future Children
Stress may not only affect you, but it can also affect your future children. Stress affects your genes, which is why the effects of it can be passed down to future generation.
Depression
Studies done in mice have shown that stress can potentially increase the risk of depression. People who are depressed may also feel stressed.
Increased Risk of Chronic Conditions
The way that you react to stress can also have an effect on your overall health. There was a study published in journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine that showed people who were anxious and stressed about everyday life were more likely to develop arthritis and heart disease 10 years later.
Increased Risk of Stroke
People who are stressed out are much more likely to have a stroke. It is important to note that you are more likely to develop stressful habits if you have a Type A personality. You may want to take the Myers Briggs Type Personality Test to see if you have a Type A personality.
Very Bad for The Heart
If you are stressed out all of the time, then you could be increasing your chance of having a heart attack by 27 percent. This is just as bad as smoking five cigarettes every day.
Worsens Colds
Have you ever heard someone say that stress makes them sick? It turns out that they are right. Stress has a very negative effect on your immune system. You are more prone to colds and a number of other illness if you have a weak immune system.
Could Affect The Outcome of Cancer
Cancer can be a very stressful ordeal. However, studies have shown that patients who know how to manage their stress during this process have better outcomes than patients who are stressed out all of the time.
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