Did you know that stress affects every system of the body? The musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems are all affected by stress.1
Stress is simply the body’s response to challenging situations. We live in a world where we are faced with stress daily. Stress in itself is not a bad thing, it produces our “fight or flight” mechanism, which enables us to act quickly in dangerous situations. During this response, your heart rate increases, muscles tense, blood pressure rises, and breathing quickens. This is crucial in these circumstances, but when the body starts responding to every stressful situation with fight or flight, we suffer negative consequences.
We are not designed to endure chronic, high levels of stress. Over time stress can cause negative impacts on your overall health such as:
- Muscle tension(especially in the neck and back)
- High blood pressure
- Possible stroke or heart attack
- Chest pain
- Headaches
- Anxiety and mental disorders
- Sexual disruption
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Digestive issues
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Weight loss
Stress is unavoidable, so it is important to learn to control how you respond to the daily stress that comes your way. Here are a few things you can do:
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Avoid alcohol and drugs
- Talk with someone you trust
- Spend time outside
- Practice deep breathing techniques
- Limit screen-time
- Get plenty of sleep
Be proactive by recognizing the signs of chronic stress in your life before it starts to affect your overall health, but if you find yourself experiencing symptoms of long-term stress, take action today!
At North Central Surgical Center, our mission is to treat each and every one of our patients and their families as if they were our own family members. Each patient, each family, each and every time.
1. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/bodyhttps://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
