Mental health has been considered a taboo for as long as one can remember. However, today, people are not shying away from discussing it—or accepting that they need professional help. If you’re in need of medical help, consult an online doctor today.
There are several factors that cause stress. But for each individual, they probably aren’t the same. While one person might be stressed about their lack of preparation for an exam, another person could be triggered by the traffic jam that’s making them late to work.
Stress is important for your physical health. A little of everything is good, however, excessive stress can become a problem. Your body’s ‘fight or flight’ response might someday save your life, but when it gets triggered day after day from minor inconveniences, or for absolutely no reason at all, that’s where the problem begins—that is where stress begins.
It’s essential that we understand what stress really is. Here’s what you need to know.
Understanding Stress
Stress is the way your body and mind react to a situation that it considers mildly to fatally threatening. The situation however, may be very real, or just a hallucination. The fight and flight response is our body’s way of dealing with stress inducing situations, but when the body persistently remains in this triggered, hyper-aware state, it enters a state of stress.
Not only does stress effect the cardiovascular system, but the immune, musculoskeletal and reproductive system are also under fire.
Let’s look at some of the ways that stress adversely effects the body.
The Effects Of Stress On Your Body
Blood Pressure
The tightening of your blood vessels can be credited to stress hormones.
Fertility Problems
Stress meddles with the working of the reproductive organs of both men and women, making it harder to conceive.
Heart Attack
Stress causes high blood pressure and increased continuous pounding of heart, which can likely injure the arteries and increase the risk of a heart attack.
Low Sex Drive
Your libido is very likely to suffer when stress takes a toll on you. In addition, erectile dysfunction might also occur.
Irregular Period Cycle
Hormonal imbalance might severely affect your menstrual cycle. In some cases, overly stressed individuals might not get their period at all.
Insomnia
Stress causes a person to stay awake and run their mind over things that have happened, or might happen. This makes the mind stop from going in a relaxing mode and sleep never seems to come.
Depression
If not treated, persistent stress will eventually turn into depression.
Stomach Ache
Nausea and other stomach related problems are often caused by the negative effects of stress on the digestive system.
Muscle Tension
Muscle tightening and tension can be attributed to stress. Not only does it cause backaches, but constant headaches might be credited to it as well.
Breathing Issues
Stress triggers quickening of breath, which in turn leads a person to breathe faster to distribute the required level of oxygen in blood. People with asthma or other related breathing problems are severely affected by this, and can often be found gasping to breathe.
Heart Burn
While it might not increase acid reflux in the body, stress definitely worsens the symptoms and triggers the pain receptors to believe that one is in much worse pain than one actually is.
Immune System
Chronic stress triggers the immune system and makes it worse over time. The body finds it hard to fight foreign invaders, which eventually makes your recovery process from an illness slower and causes you suffer more.
CNS Function
Quite a few studies have been done on how a brain deals with stress, and they show that not only can stress lead to degeneration of the brain mass, but can decrease its weight and cause other structural dissimilarities.
When Should You Seek Help?
If you’ve taken all necessary actions to counter stress and they aren’t helping, it’s time to consult a telemedicine doctor. A therapist or a professional counselor might be of immense help by looking out for the root cause of your condition. If you’re based in the US, speak to an online doctor at TelMDCare.
If you see anyone around you who looks like they’re on the brink of tipping over, talk them into seeing a therapist who might be of help. The online doctors at TelMDCare will help validate the experience and rule out any other illness that might be taking the guise of stress.
Head to TelMDCare to book an online consultation with a virtual doctor.
About The Author
Dr Kerolos T. is a ‘Family Medicine American Board’ certified acute and urgent care physician. He works at TelMDCare—an affordable healthcare system based in the US.
