This may be due to excessive pressure on work or education, economic problems or tensions in relationships. The fact is that most people experience stress in life and we are so used to it that it is already part of our way of life.
And not only that, the fact that we know that stress causes trouble sleeping, headaches or even increases the risk of depression, it no longer affects us, because it is something we already admit, but stress can be even more dangerous.
- It is important to consider that not all stress is negative.
- In fact.
- We have all experienced how in a pressure situation stress has helped us achieve better results.
- This is due to a combat response or flight that the brain gives when it identifies a real threat and quickly releases hormones that stimulate us to protect ourselves from perceived danger.
Problems begin when this combat or flight response is exaggerated or miswayed, our genetic heritage says that we are beings of action and movement, but what happens is that in the middle of a meeting, we cannot run as if a lion were chasing us in the middle of the jungle, on the contrary, the most normal thing right now is to try to stay calm and make your mind work.
This contradiction between what our biology demands and what today’s society expects is what makes stress really harmful because we literally drive our bodies crazy, we spend the day suddenly activating and severing our bodies, with all the energy adjustment that this requires.
As we said, some of the best known consequences of stress are lack of sleep, headaches, anxiety and depression; however, researchers are increasingly discovering new ways in which stress can harm our health.
Stress can influence behaviors that have a negative impact on heart health.
Recently, a study found that working many hours was associated with alcohol consumption, and study researchers say this is partly due to the belief that alcohol consumption relieves stress caused by pressure at work.
Other people smoke in response to stress, or even eat more than they should, which can cause obesity. All of these factors can contribute to poor heart health.
According to another study, stress can also reduce blood flow to the heart, especially in women. Researchers found that among patients with coronary artery disease, women had a reduction in blood flow three times greater than stressed men.
Stress is also associated with an increased risk of heart attack. In 2012, a survey found that stress at work can increase the risk of heart attack by 23%. Another study also found that repeated periods of anger or intense anxiety can increase the risk of heart attack by more than nine times.
Even after a heart attack, stress can still affect your health. In this regard, recent research has shown that women are more likely to experience higher levels of mental stress after a heart attack, resulting in slower recovery.
Stress is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Recent research has shown that women with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who do not experience this stress. One possible explanation is that periods of stress increase cortisol production, which can increase the amount of blood glucose, implying an increased risk of diabetes.
For people who already have diabetes, stress can lead to more difficult treatment of their problem. In addition to interfering with stress hormones and increasing blood sugar, diabetic patients are less likely to take care of themselves.
Although the exact causes of Alzheimer’s disease are not entirely clear, several studies suggest that stress may contribute to its development.
A 2013 study found that high levels of stress hormones in the rat brain were associated with higher amounts of beta-amyloid plaques, proteins that seem to play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease.
Another 2010 survey found that women with high blood pressure or higher cortisol levels were three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, compared to patients who did not have these symptoms.
More recently, other research has shown that in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, anxiety can accelerate the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
A recent study reported that stress in men can decrease sperm quality, which can negatively affect fertility.
The researchers behind this study worked on the hypothesis that stress could trigger the release of glucocorticoids, which are steroid hormones that affect the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which could reduce testosterone levels and sperm production in men.
Regarding stress-related female fertility problems, a 2014 survey found that women with high levels of a stress-related enzyme in their saliva, alpha-amylase, were 29% less likely to become pregnant than women with low levels of this enzyme. In addition, these women were also more than twice as likely to be infertile.