Stress and Your Body

In olden days, people mostly got sick from infections, hunger, or dirty water.Today, many people get sick because of stress. Stress can cause heart problems, diabetes, and even cancer.These illnesses happen slowly, not all of a sudden.Animals only feel stress when there is a real danger, like when a lion is chasing them.When animals are stressed, their bodies get ready to run or fight, so their heart beats faster, blood pressure goes up, and they have more energy.Humans have a problem because we can feel stress just by thinking or worrying, even if there is no real danger.This kind of stress is called psychological stress.If stress stays for a long time, it can make us sick.Long-term stress can raise our blood pressure, which can hurt our heart and cause heart attacks.Stress can also make it easier to get diabetes and can make our immune system weaker, so we get sick more often.Too much stress for a long time can also hurt our brain. It can make it harder to remember things, and it can cause anxiety and depression.Zebras and other animals feel stress only for a short time, but humans can feel it for a long time because of our thoughts and feelings.When we are stressed, our heart beats very fast, and our blood pressure goes up. This helps us run from danger, but if it happens too often, it damages our heart.The food we eat gives us energy, and our body saves extra energy for emergencies. When we are stressed, our body uses this stored energy.But if we are stressed too much, our body can’t use insulin properly, and our blood sugar goes up. This can cause diabetes.Many people eat more when they are stressed, especially sweet and starchy foods. Stress makes us feel hungrier.Stress can make us gain fat, especially around the stomach, and this kind of fat is very bad for our health.Stress can also upset our stomach and cause problems like ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Stress can stop children from growing properly. If a child is very stressed, their body might stop making growth hormones, and they might not grow.But if the stress goes away, children can start to grow again.Stress during childhood can hurt the brain, and sometimes the damage lasts for life. But if stress is removed, the brain can get better.Stress affects women’s ability to have babies. When women are stressed, they might not get their periods, or they might not get pregnant easily.Too much stress can even cause a woman to lose her baby during pregnancy.Stress can also lower women’s interest in sex.Stress affects men, too. It can lower the amount of testosterone, which is a hormone important for men.Stress can make it hard for men to have erections, which can cause sexual problems.Stress also affects the immune system. A little stress can make it stronger, but too much stress makes it weaker, so we get sick more easily.Some people think stress causes cancer, but scientists are not sure if that is true.Pain and stress are connected. Stress can sometimes make pain feel less for a little while, but if stress lasts too long, pain can get worse.Stress affects our memory. A little stress helps us remember better, but too much makes it harder to remember things.Stress makes it harder to make good decisions and control our feelings. Our brain can get weaker if we are stressed for a long time.Stress can also make it hard to sleep well. If we don’t sleep enough, we feel more stressed, and it is hard for our body and brain to rest.As we get older, it is harder for our bodies to handle stress. Stress can make us age faster and get more diseases.Some things make stress worse or better. Talking to friends, playing, or exercising helps reduce stress.If we feel like we can control a situation, we feel less stressed. If we have no control, stress feels worse.Depression is linked to stress. People who are depressed feel very sad, tired, and don’t enjoy anything.