4 Ways Stress Manifests In The Body

We’re designed by nature to experience stress and react to it. In fact, in many ways, stress is good for our bodies. It keeps us motivated, alert, and ready to avoid danger. 

Stress only becomes a negative when a person continuously experiences it without the adequate relaxation and relief needed between stressors. 

Now, stress (the bad type) can manifest in the body in various ways. For some, stress appears on their skin as rashes. For others, stress feels like their chest is about to explode. Below are four ways stress can affect the body.

Mental Health

According to the American Institute of Stress, 73% of people who experience stress suffer from mental health issues. Excessive stress can significantly reduce the enthusiasm or activities you usually enjoy and can bring about the symptoms of anxiety and depression.  

Individuals who’re stressed out also tend to exercise less, and sleep and eat poorly, which only exacerbates the symptoms. 

Heart & Lungs

Believe it or not, even low amounts of stress (such as meeting a work deadline) can be damaging for your heart. These situations increase your heart rate, and lead to the excessive secretion of cortisol (the stress hormone), progressively weakening your heart and lungs, increasing the risk of hypertension, arrhythmias, asthma, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Besides lung conditions, stress can also cause rapid breathing and shortness of breath. 

If you feel heart palpitations or tightness in your chest when you’re stressed out, consult a doctor as soon as possible. 

Joints & Muscles

Stress can induce soreness, tightness, or spasms of pain in your muscles. Prolonged bouts of stress can cause symptoms of fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other conditions to flare up, since they lower your pain threshold. 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), your muscles tense up altogether when you’re experiencing stress. They only relax when the stress goes away. 

Hair & Skin

Ad space today is dominated by new hair and skin products. However, those products will do little to improve the condition of your hair and skin. If you have a skin condition, such as psoriasis, rosacea, or eczema, stress can make it worse. Moreover, it can also cause excessive sweating, itchiness, hives, and even hair loss. 

Here at Holistic Cure, we offer a comprehensive range of holistic services to clients in the Chicagoland area. We offer on-site yoga and meditation sessions in a private & corporate setting, as well as kids’ birthday parties & other events.  We also offer energy healing sessions to balance & harmonize the body, mind & spirit. Get in touch with our team for more information and we would love to be a part of your wellness journey.