The Surprising Health Effects of Stress

Around 49 percent of all adults in the United States claim stress has negatively affected their behavior, This is not at all surprising because, as a nation, we are suffering from an epidemic of stress and it can cause us to act in ways we wouldn’t usually. 

We all know how stress can impact our mental health, but it can also have a huge effect on our physical health too.

Below are some of the most surprising health effects of stress that it would be useful to know if you often find yourself in stressful situations:

It makes it harder to conceive

It is sad, but women who are chronically stressed will often find it much harder to conceive - in fact, they are around 13 percent less likely to do so than their chilled-out peers - which is why women are often advised to relax when they are trying for a baby.

It causes weight gain

Okay, so stress alone will not cause you to gain weight, but when you are under a lot of stress, you are more likely to overeat and your body is more likely to release high levels of cortisol, which lead to your body storing more fat than it otherwise might. So it is really important that, if stress is making you gain weight, you speak to your physician as soon as possible. 

Hearing loss

This might be hard to believe, but stress can actually cause you to lose your hearing Although it is far from the biggest of hearing loss causes, elevated stress levels can interrupt the blood flow to your inner ear, and that can cause damage to occur which may leave you unable to hear as well as you could before.

Breakouts

Stress is also really bad for your skin. In fact, one study found that students who were undergoing examinations had worse skin than students who were not under the same level of stress. So, if your complexion has been suffering of late, take the time to check in with your mind and see if you are feeling stressed. Learning to meditate could be more effective than any facial serum you can buy at the store.

Less effective cancer treatment

One of the most shocking facts about stress and its impact on your health is that it could make any cancer treatment you are undergoing less effective than it would be were you not stressed. A study published in the Cancer Immunology Research revealed that immunotherapies are less responsive in patients who are under chronic stress.

It can cause memory loss

Memory loss might not be a very common side effect of stress, but it can happen when your brain becomes so overwhelmed with stress that it is unable to function at optimal levels, and memory and spatial awareness can both be impacted.

As you can see, stress can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing, so if you are feeling stressed out, you should speak to a doctor or therapist as soon as possible.