Stress can be defined as external forces, physical, emotional and mental factors that cause tension in the body or on the mind. During stressful times, adrenaline is released into the blood. Adrenaline is very useful to a person who may be in danger and gets them in ‘fight or flight’ mode. However if the stress was for emotional purposes, this could be dangerous as there are no channels for the release of this energy. Stress can be due to worry about ones life, pressure from other people, noise, fatigue or overwork. Many people think that being stressed is normal and harmless. While the first opinion is true, the second one is untrue. Stress affects one’s health in the following ways.
Stress and Disease
When one is stressed excessively, this may lead to the development of ulcers. Ulcers are lesions or sores that develop in the stomach or the intestine and can be very painful. Development of ulcers is the first sign that one is undergoing much stress. The other health problem caused by stress is overstretching of the immune system. This causes the immune system to be overworked and consequently unable to fight off disease causing agents. Some diseases that are related to stress include stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Other diseases may also develop due to this. Depression, a mental disorder affecting one’s mood thus affecting behavior, feelings and thoughts, is also associated with stress. Stress also brings about hair loss, with some people pulling out hair from their head causing painful sores. Other health problems include headaches, anger, asthma, stomach cramping, weight loss, low libido and diarrhea.
Stress and Obesity
The main reason people get obese is that they overeat. However, very few connect the urge to eat with stress. Stress is the main cause for overeating and is listed among the main causes of obesity. Stressed people will often turn to comfort eating to manage the stress. They may not even care what they are eating and are often prone to consuming high sugar and high cholesterol foods. As such, chocolate bars or ice cream may be taken in large quantities to reduce stress. Many people live a life that is very hectic. They have too much to do in too little time. This leads to stress and consequently over eating as they use food to soothe themselves. The best way to beat both stress, obesity and sickness is by ensuring that one eats a healthy diet and works out regularly.
