In the last blog, I wrote about the relationship between stress and pain.
We found that stress can cause pain in various parts of the body and that the mind and body are closely connected.
This time, I would like to look at how stress affects our bodies further.
As I wrote in the last blog, according to the American Psychological Association, chronic mental stress affects the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nervous, reproductive, and endocrine systems.
◎ Musculoskeletal System
When we are stressed, our muscles tense and stiffen.
This is a natural defense system to protect against threats to you.
If the tension is only for a short period of time, it is not a problem, but if you are chronically stressed, you will not be able to relax, and this can lead to headaches and back pain due to tension in the neck and shoulders.
◎ Respiratory System
When you are stressed, do you sometimes feel that you are breathing too fast or that you cannot breathe properly, as if you do not have enough oxygen?
These are called “fight-or-flight response” in which we prepare to fight or flee in order to protect ourselves, and we need more oxygen than usual to do so.
When the stress temporarily abates and we regain our composure, our body works to relax and breathing returns to normal.
However, people with respiratory illnesses such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (formerly known as chronic bronchitis) are more likely to exacerbate their condition when they are stressed.
Even if you do not have those symptoms, the feeling that you are having difficulty breathing or that you might collapse may trigger a panic attack.
Panic attacks can cause further stress not only at the time, but even when there is no particular breathing problem, people can become anxious and feel even more stressed out, thinking, “What if I panic next?” or “What if I can’t breathe?”
◎ Cardiovascular System
Acute stress, such as a shock or a temporary feeling of pressure, causes the heart to beat faster and the heart muscles to tighten.
While the volume of blood increases to support the heart’s work, stress hormones such as cortisol cause blood vessels to constrict, resulting in a temporary increase in blood pressure.
For example, when you are driving and someone unexpectedly jumps out at you and you have to hit the brakes quickly, or when you feel that your work deadline is just around the corner and you don’t know if you will make it in time.
After such a challenging event passes, your racing heart returns to normal speed and your blood pressure returns to normal.
Chronic stress, however, can repeat itself, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
◎ Gastrointestinal System
Stress can cause a malfunction in the communication between the gastrointestinal system and the brain, resulting in pain, bloating, and other uncomfortable symptoms.
The digestive system is so closely related to the brain that it has been called the “second brain.”
Millions of bacteria live in the organs of one’s digestive system, and they affect the health of the body and the brain (i.e. the mind).
According to Rahul Dubbaka, a gastroenterologist in Hyderabad, India, changes and imbalances in these bacteria, inflammation within the digestive system, and any disturbances in the communication pathways between the digestive system and the brain can also damage our mental health.
Furthermore, he says that it can develop into anxiety and depression.
Just as problems in the gastrointestinal system can affect the mind, mental stress can also have a negative impact on the system.
For example, it can cause a hole in the lining of the intestinal wall, which normally acts as a barrier, resulting in leakage of undigested food and toxins from the intestines into the blood vessels, a condition known as leaky gut syndrome.
(*There are other causes of this condition besides stress, such as excessive alcohol consumption, lack of nutrients, etc.)
Symptoms of leaky gut syndrome include bloating, abdominal pain, mood swings, lack of energy, and skin problems, which can further strain one’s mental health.
As such, the gastrointestinal system is deeply connected to the health of the mind, with a relationship that can easily affect each other.
◎ Nervous System
Our autonomic nervous system is divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves.
When something stressful occurs, the sympathetic nervous system disperses energy in the body and prepares for the “fight-or-flight response” to fight against stress or threats or to escape from them.
The adrenaline and cortisol secreted during this process cause the heart to beat faster, blood vessels in the arms and legs to dilate, and blood sugar levels to rise in an attempt to deal with the emergency (i.e., stress).
When the stressful or threatening situation subsides, the parasympathetic nervous system relaxes the body and returns it to its normal state.
However, if the stress is repeated over a long period of time, that is, if the body is constantly experiencing stress that cannot be handled, the autonomic nervous system also repeats the stress response, and the body becomes exhausted.
And this physical exhaustion can weaken your emotional state, making it even more difficult to cope with stress.
◎ Reproductive System
According to the American Psychological Association, the sperm of men who experienced two or more stressful events in the previous year are less vital and less normal in size and shape than those of people who experienced no stressful events.
In women, stress can cause menstrual irregularities, such as the loss of a monthly menstruation or a different cycle each time, and premenstrual syndrome symptoms may be more severe than usual.
Stress also has a negative effect on the ability to fertilize, health during pregnancy, and adaptation to the postnatal environment.
◎ Endocrine System
When stressed, the endocrine system stimulates the secretion of adrenal corticosteroids called glucocorticoids.
One of these hormones, cortisol, is called the stress hormone and is responsible for creating energy in the body to fight stress.
Cortisol is secreted by the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortical system, which communicate with each other to respond to stress.
This action then causes stress symptoms throughout the body.
This hormone secretion is involved in stress-related symptoms throughout the body, such as muscle tension, the “fight-or-flight response,” vasoconstriction, and effects on the reproductive organs, as mentioned earlier in this post.
Cortisol also has anti-inflammatory functions and helps to reduce inflammation such as fever and swelling caused by the immune system’s ability to eliminate bacteria and viruses from the outside.
Thus, cortisol is essential to our bodies, but if its secretion is constantly high, stress symptoms can persist and take a toll on the body.
According to information from Kauvery Hospital in India, if the stress condition lasts only a few days, it can return you to your normal state in health again, but if you are under stress for longer than a few weeks, cortisol production can become excessive, leading to fatigue, immune system disorders, and depression.
The effects of mental stress can be seen in all parts of the body.
The physical changes you feel may be due to mental health issues.
If you feel unusual and uncomfortable in your body for a long period of time, it can lead to mental fatigue, creating a vicious cycle.
It is important to cope with stress and take good care of yourself to avoid or break out of this vicious cycle.
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