What are the Risk Factors for Health From the Effects of Stress?

Chronic stress is worn by people almost as though it is a badge of courage, this should not be so as the risk factors for health are even more profound than can be imagined.

The effects of stress change the physical make up of both the body and brain.

Chronic stress sufferers can become sensitized, this means that they become acutely sensitive to stress and the tiniest stressful situation is able to trigger chemicals reactions in the body and brain causing serious risk factors for health.

The brain virtually re-circuits itself in response to this reaction and while we might believe that we are not reacting to being late for an appointment, our brain is reacting as though our very lives were on the line.

Research has found that the risk factors for health caused by chronic stress causes as much as 60 to 90% of all illnesses. Physical symptoms include damage to the cardiovascular system, and even affect the immune system.

This compromises your body's ability to fight infection and disease.

The effects of stress on the digestive system cause chaos, and stress is even able to prevent women from conceiving, and stunted growth in children. And yes, children also suffer from the effects of stress!

There is a virtually unending list of medical conditions that are attributed to the effects of stress including but not exclusive to:

• Chronic unexplained pain
• High blood pressure
• Ulcer
• Heartburn
• Migraine
• Heart disease
• Asthma
• PMS
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Infertility
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Autoimmune diseases
• Skin problems

Chronic stress causes emotional damage that is compounded by physical illness. It pounds away at your mental health, leaving you unable to cope with even the smallest of everyday pressures. Stress suffered in the long-term can cause mental health problems like anxiety, eating disorders, depression and substance abuse.

It is not accidental that physical symptoms are experienced when you are in a stressful situation. These are defense mechanisms, your body's natural response to threat. If these responses are continually stimulated the effects of stress on the human body can make it more susceptible to life threatening health problems.

The stress response or fight or flight response is the way in which the body responds automatically, and changes into high gear to deal with physical threats.

When your body encounters such a threat the Hypothalamus (situated at the base of the brain) sets off the alarm. A combination of nerve and chemical signals tells the adrenal glands to release adrenalin and cortisol. Adrenaline increases heart rate and increases blood pressure; cortisol increases blood sugar and makes the brain more able to use that glucose release.

Cortisol also stimulates chemicals in your body to speed up tissue repair. Cortisol also curbs non essential function such as the digestive system, growth processes and the reproductive system. These chemicals also affect the centers of the brain that control mood, fear and motivation.

The stress response is self regulating, and things generally go back to normal once the threat is over.

However long term stimulation of the stress response and exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones disrupts many of the natural processes of the body. This results in heart and digestive problems, memory impairment, depression, physical illness and a whole host of other health related problems.