Anxiety, Headaches, and Diabetes: Consequences of Chronic Stress
Stress has become an integral part of our lives: each of us is exposed to it every day. We experience stress at work, when studying, and worry about news, family and personal life events.
Besides global stress, the impact of which is almost impossible to do anything about, we are confronted with events that cause anxiety and worry specifically for us. For some, such a factor is public speaking, for others – a move, for others – a business meeting.
Stress isn’t always caused by unpleasant events: you can experience it, for example, when using bonus codes for casino websites or even going on vacation.
Stress triggers can be a variety of situations that trigger the production of stress hormones in the body. They act on the body by causing our heart to beat faster, our muscles to tense, putting our body on maximum alert to be able to react quickly to any dangerous situation.
If such a situation doesn’t occur, and the stress continues day after day, it can make us feel worse – usually not overnight, but gradually.
People under chronic stress experience constant anxiety, sleep problems, headaches, depression symptoms and libido disorders.
The consequences of stress affect the entire body. For example, palpitations increase the stress on the cardiovascular system, which increases the likelihood of a heart attack. What’s more, those who are constantly stressed often have digestive problems – nausea, constipation or diarrhea occur more often than usual.
Stress causes our liver to release more glucose into the blood than usual. This is to give the body energy it can use in an emergency.
If stress becomes chronic, blood glucose levels will also be consistently higher than normal – leading to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Laboratory diagnostics can help assess the state of carbohydrate metabolism.
It’s possible to reduce the risks of stress affecting the body in different ways: scientists recommend using breathing techniques, not forgetting about physical activity, walks in the fresh air and positive thinking. The latter, by the way, are not empty words: scientists have proven that positive thinking helps fight stress and even prolongs life.
Ways to Avoid Stress
Find out Your Cortisol Levels
Elevated concentrations of cortisol lead to weight gain, diabetes, vision impairment, and decreased testosterone, calcium absorption and collagen synthesis, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Get Enough Sleep
An adult needs at least 8 hours of sleep. Go to bed on time, because a number of vital hormones are produced at night: growth hormone (somatotropin), sex hormones, hormones that control hunger and appetite (ghrelin/leptin).
Change Scenery
Don’t spend your weekends on the couch, go to an exhibition, concert or lecture. New experiences are a great stress preventative.
Don’t Smoke
Or, if possible, reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. Nicotine increases cortisol levels in the blood.
Don’t Drink Alcohol
Alcohol-containing drinks lead to loss of vitamins and antioxidants, which intensifies oxidative reactions. This affects the skin – it becomes less elastic, uneven. As a result, your face looks puffy and you look a few years older.
