Effects that stress has on your brain and body.
We all experience feelings of stress every now and then and, although the things that trigger us may vary, we all are familiar with bodily reactions that stress evokes. Increased heart rate, rapid breathing and clenched muscles are just some of the things that occur in your body during stress. But the long-term impact that stress has on your brain and body is far more extensive.
Stress is how your body reacts to an internal or external stimulus. When you perceive something or someone as a potential threat to your well-being your brain releases hormones that are responsible for keeping you alerted. Your senses are heightened and you are more aware of your surroundings. These bodily reactions facilitate the ‘fight-or-flight’ response, which is your survival mechanism that becomes triggered almost instantly during stressful situations.
Not all stress is bad. However, if the intensity of stress reaches beyond your threshold, it can cause damage to your health. The symptoms of acute stress, which is only a temporary reaction to an overwhelming situation, usually subside very quickly. During the event, that resulted in acute stress, your heart rate elevates, your body releases cortisol and you feel the rush of adrenaline. After the event is over though, your body comes back to its natural state of homeostasis. Examples of acute stress could be a car accident, a traffic jam or simply an argument with a spouse or work colleague. However, you may also develop reactions to stress that persist over a long period of time, causing you to be in a continuously alerted state. This is called chronic stress and its implications are far more severe.
If you do not manage your stress levels, things can get out of your control very quickly. Similarly to a disease or ailment, if prolonged stress is not controlled it can affect your physical and emotional health negatively.
Today we are taking a look at how stress affects your brain and body:
1. It leads to memory disorders.
Research[1,2,4] has indicated that high levels of stress hormones have a negative impact on learning and memory formation and can lead to memory disorders. “The disruption to memory and judgment is due to the effects of stress on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex”. Hippocampus is the brain region that has been implicated in the processing of information from short-term memory into long-term memory whilst the prefrontal cortex plays important role in decision making, planning and social behaviour. Exposure to stress can cause changes in the brain that can manifest in a few ways: in behaviour, mood or cognition. Scientists observed that chronic stress can cause problems similar to those discovered in patients with depression and mood disorders.
2. It lowers the immune system.
Severe stress can lower the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections. During times of stress, the body has decreased ability to ward off antigens, the molecules that can make you sick. It does not produce enough antibodies to defend against an illness, as the stress hormone (corticosteroid) suppresses the number of lymphocytes produced. Lymphocytes are responsible for making antibodies and destroying malignant cells. Thus, severe stress may also enable the growth of malignant cells and can expand any existing tumours.[2]
3. It may result in cardiovascular diseases.
In times of stress, your heart rate elevates and the blood vessels dilate in order to pump more blood to it. This causes spikes in blood pressure. Your heart needs to work much harder during stress too as its contractions become much stronger. If feelings of stress occur too frequently or persist for too long they can lead to heart-related problems and diseases. The consistent release of stress hormones can cause high blood pressure (hypertension) or stroke. It may also result in inflammation of coronary arteries, which is linked to heart attacks.
4. It can affect your gut health.
Stress management is the number one advice in improving gut health, according to the UK National Health Service.
“In some people, stress slows down digestion, causing bloating, pain and constipation, while in others it speeds it up, causing diarrhoea[…] Stress can also worsen digestive conditions like stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome.” [3]
Brain and gut are closely connected, in fact, the term for the communication network between the two is called the gut-brain axis.
Stress can affect the brain-gut homeostasis, triggering gut discomfort or pain. The USA National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) indicates that stress can affect movement and contractions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by a decrease in blood flow to that area. This could lead to inflammation and cramping as well as an increase in bad bacteria in the gut.[4]
5. It might cause weight gain.
The stress hormone, cortisol, causes your blood sugar levels to rise, which is associated with changes in weight. Following these spikes the insulin levels drop, causing you to crave sugary and fatty comfort foods. Due to these cravings, coupled with an increased appetite, most people that experience periods of stress gain weight. For many of us eating also plays a role of a coping mechanism that helps us deal with feelings of upset, anger or anxiety. For this reason, it is also referred to as ‘emotional eating’. Aside from weight gain, scientists also linked stress to conditions like diabetes. A study[5] performed on 766 Chinese workers found that chronic stress may contribute to the development of insulin resistance. This, in turn, could progress into type 2 diabetes. Research[6] has also indicated that stress decreases sleep efficiency and causes frequent awakenings during the night.
Stress and sleep have a two-way relationship. If you are under a lot of stress your sleep might be affected. Similarly, if you do not sleep well or long enough your body releases cortisol, consequently causing you to feel stressed. In order to live a healthy life make sure to pay close attention to them both.
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Research references
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/
- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/five-lifestyle-tips-for-a-healthy-tummy/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4919480/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17937582/
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