Like many people, you probably have a lot to be stressed about. And feeling stressed from time to time is actually normal and healthy. Stress can help you respond to hard times. But when stress is severe, or there’s ongoing stress, it comes with a cost and can lead to stress-related illnesses.
Stress can have real, physical effects on the body — and it can even make you sick. Learning how to identify and manage your stress can help you feel better and can also improve your physical health.
Can stress make you sick?
Yes, when stress is ongoing and chronic, it can lead to stress-related illness. This has to do with the ongoing “fight-flight-freeze” response during stress. This leads to changes in hormones as well as changes in the brain. In severe cases, this can have serious effects on the heart — and it can even lead to heart failure or a heart attack.
More commonly, stress can cause changes in the body like:
– Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms
– Mood changes
– Irregular or troublesome menstrual periods
– Stress can also have a domino effect on other aspects of your health. It can increase the likelihood of risky behaviors, like smoking, drinking too much alcohol, substance use, and addiction. Indirectly, stress can also increase your risk of stroke.
What can cause stress?
Lots of things can cause stress on the body. Stress can come from physical sources like working too many hours at a job or not sleeping enough at night. Emotional sources can also cause stress, like when you feel pressure at school or have a problem with a relationship.
Both emotional and physical stress cause changes to your body that can damage your health in the long run.
12 types of stress-related illnesses
Constant stress over a long period of time can lead to a variety of medical problems. Let’s take a closer look at 12 types of health problems that stress can cause and how it can make you feel sick.
1. Broken heart syndrome (Takotsubo syndrome)
Severe stress can lead to sudden, temporary weakening of the heart and its ability to pump well. Researchers think this type of heart failure is related to increased levels of stress hormones, like epinephrine and norepinephrine. Most people will recover from broken heart syndrome (Takotsubo syndrome). But it can also lead to serious complications, including sudden death.
2. Stress-induced ischemia to the heart
Stress can lead to chest pain, and it can even decrease blood flow to the heart, resulting in a heart attack or ischemia. Interestingly, men and women experience this type of stress on their hearts differently. In general, women are more at risk of heart problems from psychological stress than men are.
3. High blood pressure
Chronic stress can increase stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this raises your blood pressure and increases your risk for heart disease. If you have high blood pressure, be sure to talk with a healthcare professional about the best treatment options. And make stress reduction a part of your treatment plan.
4. Stress-induced hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
The release of stress hormones, like epinephrine and cortisol, can also increase blood glucose levels. This shouldn’t create a problem for people who don’t have diabetes. But, if you have early or borderline diabetes, or you take medications to treat diabetes, you may notice your blood sugar levels rise when you get stressed.
5. Stress-induced insomnia
Stress can lead to disruptions in sleep and stress-related insomnia. This affects some people more, such as those who have had sleep trouble in the past or underlying anxiety or depression.
There are many treatment options for insomnia, from lifestyle changes to therapy, and medications. If sleep is an ongoing issue for you, talk with a healthcare professional about the best treatment options for you.
6. Stress-induced anxiety
Anxiety can be the result of long-standing stress. This may cause a variety of symptoms like:
– Palpitations
– Chest pressure
– Insomnia
– Dry mouth
– Anxiety
There are things you can do to get yourself through these moments:
– Practice mindfulness techniques.
– Try meditating or deep-breathing exercises.
– Get out and exercise.
– Get enough quality sleep.
– Surround yourself with people who love you.
– When that’s not enough, it’s important to see your primary care provider to discuss therapy and medication options.
7. Stress-induced depression
Acute and ongoing stress can lead to mood changes, including depression. Many things play a role in this, such as environmental factors, cortisol levels, and changes in your brain. Start with the interventions for anxiety mentioned above, and if you aren’t feeling better, see a healthcare professional for a therapist referral or medication options.
8. Stress-induced pain
Stress and anxiety change the way you feel pain. The nature, time, and intensity of the stress all play a role. Stress, fear, and anxiety all have strong, complex influences on pain. Studies show that people with chronic stress actually experience changes in how they process pain, causing them to feel more pain than they otherwise would.
9. Stress-induced inflammation
Stress can lead to increased inflammation levels. Experts know that signs of inflammation in the blood increase with stress. Substances like interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen are released at higher levels during stress. This can be helpful if fighting off an infection or healing an injury. But when it goes on for a long time, it can lead to chronic inflammation and other health issues, including heart disease or diabetes. It can also cause symptoms in the short term, such as hives, pain, or fatigue.
10. Stress-induced nausea and diarrhea
Stress causes many gut issues, including nausea, heartburn, and diarrhea. Experts know the brain and gut are linked (the brain-gut axis). Stress-related gut symptoms have to do with the release of hormones — like cortisol and adrenaline — and the change in blood flow away from your digestive tract. This slows down digestion and can make food harder to absorb.
11. Stress-induced infections
The relationship between stress and your immune system has been known for at least 100 years. In the early 1900s, Japanese doctors noted that patients with chronic stress didn’t heal from tuberculosis as well as patients who didn’t have stress in their lives. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about how chronic stress can weaken your immune system. And this can increase your risk of infections — from the common cold to cold sores.
12. Irregular or painful periods
Stress can also affect hormones that regulate your reproductive system and your menstrual period. This can lead to irregular and painful periods. It can even make your periods stop all together (amenorrhea). Usually, these symptoms improve once the stress is removed from your life.
How to reduce stress and treat stress-related illness
Learning to reduce stress can help prevent chronic stress and treat the symptoms of stress-related diseases.
Here are a few science-backed recommendations to get you started:
– Practice deep breathing and mindfulness.
– Exercise every day.
– Get outside and spend time in nature if you have access to it.
– Spend time with animals — either your own or in a volunteer setting.
– Eat a nourishing diet, and avoid processed foods and alcohol.
– Try to improve the amount and quality of your sleep.
– Build and nurture a network of friends and family.
– If you find that you can’t manage your stress, be sure to reach out to a healthcare professional about other ways to help, such as therapy or medication.
The bottom line
Everyone feels stress from time to time. If your stress levels are increasing or becoming more chronic, they can take a toll on your physical and mental health.
No matter how much stress you feel, there are likely some ways you can improve how you feel and reduce the physical impact stress has on your body.
In many cases, the first step to making positive change is simply noticing and recognizing the effect that stress is having on your health.
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