Stress and your health: what is this, causes, symptoms, diagnostics, treatment, prevention

Stress and your health; Anxiety; Feeling uptight; Stress; Tension; Jitters; Apprehension

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought, that make you feel frustrated, anger or nervousness.

Stress is your body's response to a challenge or demand.. Brief bursts of stress can be positive, eg, when he helps you avoid danger or meet deadlines. But when the stress lasts long, it can harm your health.

Description of stress

Stress is a normal feeling. There are two main types of stress:

Acute stress. This is temporary stress., which passes quickly. Can you feel it, when you hit the brakes, arguing with a partner or skiing down a steep slope. It will help you deal with dangerous situations. It also happens, when you do something new or interesting. Everyone experiences acute stress at one time or another..

Chronic stress. It's stress, that lasts for a long period of time. You may have chronic stress, if you have money problems, unhappy marriage or problems at work. Any type of stress, that lasts for weeks or months, is chronic stress. You can get so used to chronic stress, what you don't realize, what is the problem. If you can't find ways to deal with stress , it can lead to health problems.

Stress and your body

The body responds to stress by releasing hormones.. These hormones make the brain more alert, cause the muscles to tense up and increase the heart rate. In the short term, these reactions are good, because they can help you deal with the situation, stressful. It's your body's way of protecting itself..

When you are chronically stressed, your body stays alert, even if there is no danger. Over time, this puts you at risk for health problems., including, such as:

• High blood pressure
• heart disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Depression or anxiety
• Skin problems, such as acne or eczema
• Problems with menstruation

If you already have health problems, chronic stress can exacerbate them.

Signs of too much stress

Stress can cause various physical and emotional symptoms.. Sometimes you may not realize, that these symptoms are caused by stress. Here are some signs that, that stress can affect you:

• Diarrhea or constipation
• Forgetfulness
• Frequent pain
• Headache
• Lack of energy or concentration
• Sexual problems
• Stiff jaw or neck
• Fatigue
• Trouble falling asleep or sleeping too much
• Stomach upset
• Use of alcohol or drugs to relax
• Weight loss or gain

Causes of stress

The causes of stress vary from person to person.. You can be stressed like good events, as well as bad. Some common sources of stress include:

• Marriage or divorce
• Starting a new job
• Death of a spouse or close family member
• Dismissal
• Retirement
• Having a child
• money problems
• Having a serious illness
• Problems at work
• Problems at home

When to See a Doctor for Stress

Call your doctor, if you feel overwhelmed by stress or if it affects your health. Also call your doctor, if you notice new or unusual symptoms.

• Causes, where you can ask for help:
• Do you feel panic, eg, dizziness, rapid breathing or rapid heartbeat.
• You cannot work or work at home or at work.
• Do you have fears, which you cannot control.
• Do you have memories of a traumatic event?.

Your doctor may refer you to a mental health specialist. You can talk to this specialist about your feelings., About, what worsens or relieves stress, and why do you think, that you have this problem. You can also get advice on ways to reduce stress in your life..

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call emergency medical help or tell a specialist.

If someone you know tried to commit suicide, call emergency help immediately. DO NOT leave the person alone, even after, how did you call for help.

Stress prevention

Stress – it is the body's natural response to any pressure or threat. It can be caused by various factors, both positive, as well as negative. Prolonged exposure to stress can have a negative impact on our health. Stress prevention – this is a set of measures, you can take, to reduce the risk of it.

One way to prevent stress is good time management.. This avoids overload and reduces stress levels., associated with non-completion of tasks.

Regular physical activity can also reduce stress.. Sports and other forms of physical activity help you relax and reduce stress hormones in your body..

A healthy healthy diet also plays an important role in stress prevention.. Wholesome nutrition helps maintain a healthy body and mind, and may also reduce the risk of disease, stress related.

Getting enough sleep is also important for stress prevention.. Lack of sleep can increase stress levels and reduce the body's response to stress.
Learning and practicing relaxation techniques, such as meditation and yoga, can help reduce stress levels and improve quality of life.

Building a support system of friends and family can also help you deal with stress.. Having people, who can support and listen, may help reduce stress levels and improve overall quality of life.

But it's important to understand, that sometimes stress cannot be completely avoided, and it is important to be able to deal with it, when it occurs.

Used literature and sources

Ahmed SM, Hershberger PJ, Lemkau JP. Psychosocial influences on health. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 3.

National Institute of Mental Health website. I’m so stressed out! fact sheet. www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed-out-fact-sheet. Accessed August 17, 2022.

Freedland KE, Carney RM, Make it EJ, Rich MW. Psychiatric and psychosocial aspects of cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 99.