What is the effect of stress on the human body. The effect of stress on the human body

Stressful situations can be displayed in different ways on the well-being of a person, the functioning of organs and systems. Short-term stress helps mobilize forces, make the right decision in a critical situation, and improve relationships with close people. Prolonged and intense exposure to stress negatively affects health. This leads to problems in the work of the cardiovascular, nervous, immune systems, gastrointestinal tract. A person does not have a desire to do anything; interest in life disappears. Periodically, sudden attacks of rage, irritability, aggression may occur.

General concept

There is one crucial point that you need to pay attention to before talking about the effect of stress on your health. This is a reaction to external circumstances, which everyone perceives differently. This means that the degree of influence of the same situations on different people will differ. The effect of stress depends on how a person perceives the current state of affairs.

Stresses have a different nature of origin, depending on the factors that provoked them. Conventionally, they can be divided into two categories: physical (appearing against the background of sensations of thirst, hunger, heat, cold, infections) and psychological, which arise as a result of severe nervous strain.

Stress affects both positively and negatively on health. It all depends on its intensity and duration. Short-term and not very strong stresses can be regarded as positive. If the effect is long and intense, then it is dangerous for health and well-being. In order to get rid of internal tension, there is a addiction to alcohol, nicotine, drug addiction, a passion for gambling, there are changes in sexual preferences, rash acts are made. Such behavior does not solve the accumulated problems, but only contributes to their exacerbation. Stress negatively affects not only physical, but also psychological health, communication with loved ones and the opposite sex, the implementation of professional plans.

How does overstrain affect health?

Intense stress, which lasts a long time, significantly worsens the work of almost all internal organs and systems of a person. Its insidiousness lies in the fact that it leads to a deterioration in well-being not immediately, but after a certain time.

Stress has many negative consequences for the physiological health of a person:

Angina pectoris develops.
The risk of myocardial infarction increases.
Significantly increased blood pressure.
Blood sugar rises.
The level of fatty acids rises.
Gastritis, a stomach and duodenal ulcer, chronic colitis, and gallstone disease develop.
The body's defenses are reduced, a person is often sick with acute respiratory infections.
There is a loss of appetite or addiction to a certain type of food, weight is lost.
The skin turns red, peeling, various rashes appear.
Insomnia, depression, a feeling of depression, neurosis, excitement, sudden mood swings appear, attention and memory deteriorate. A person quickly gets tired, cannot perform his duties at work qualitatively.
A person suffers from severe headaches.
The use of a large number of alcoholic beverages begins, alcoholism develops.
Excess hormones that are produced during stress lead to thinning of the skin, osteoporosis, degeneration of muscle tissue.
Stress contributes to the development of cancer.
In rare cases, irreversible processes in the form of degeneration of the cells of the spinal cord and brain are possible.

If unexpected strong stress (emotional shock) occurs, this can lead to the following consequences:

Spasm of muscles, tissues, blood vessels.
Damage to motor function.
Miscarriages in women in position.
Decreased libido, testosterone levels, the development of impotence.
Panic attacks, heart attack.
Nausea, indigestion.
A sharp increase in blood pressure.

The effects of stress on the psyche

A negative effect on mental health is manifested by the following symptoms:

There is chronic fatigue, apathy, a breakdown.
A person loses interest not only in work, but in life in general.
Intolerance, increased conflict, unexpected outbursts of anger, aggression, irritability periodically occur.
Marked mood lability, emotional instability.
Inferiority complexes appear, self-confidence and self-confidence are lost.
Hypochondria, sleep disturbances develop.
The work of the hormonal sphere is disrupted.
It is difficult for a person to plan his time correctly, he cannot relax and fully relax, his circle of communication narrows, disagreements and quarrels appear in the family, he does not want to fulfill his conjugal duty.

The negative effect of stress on the human body is considered a proven fact. However, few people understand what constant stresses can lead to and how they affect health. But the consequences can be very serious for the human body. Let's see what can happen, and which organs are at risk under the influence of negative emotions.

What is stress?

The set of external factors that for a long time affect the psycho-emotional background of a person, sooner or later, provokes the development of a response from the body. It is she who is called stress, which inevitably leads to the destruction of normal reactions in the body. The result may be a violation of the functionality of organs and systems, which causes various diseases.

You can find yourself in a stressful situation both in a working and in a home environment. The reason may be family discord, lack of self-realization, strong feelings, and other negative factors. Health and stress are inextricably linked, and this should be understood.

Consequences and symptoms

What does stress lead to? Almost all modern people are asking this question, since according to statistics about 80% of the population of the entire globe is in this state. It so happened that the effects of stress are also their symptoms. In total, there are four groups of disorders that occur in the body and affect the state of health.

Cognitive implications

Constant tension of the nervous system is dangerous for humans, and it is the cognitive symptoms that indicate a widespread stress state among people, since they are diagnosed with an enviable frequency. See for yourself, because the cognitive consequences of stress include:

Impaired memory. It is important that the changes that occur occur with short-term memory - a person can remember in great detail the events that occurred 10-15 years ago, but at the same time he forgets the information received several years ago.
With prolonged stress, people are not able to concentrate on any subject or business for at least a few minutes.
Under the influence of constant stresses, a person develops a persistent anxiety state that constantly accompanies him. It is noteworthy that the patient is fully aware of the essence of the reasons that provoke anxiety. Moreover, such a state gradually degenerates into emotional experiences that are dangerous for our psychological state and balance.
Pessimism with shades of apathy. How does stress affect the body in this case? It simply deprives a person of his goals and capabilities, so he ceases to see prospects in any business, self-doubt appears, and everything that happens around seems meaningless.
Restless condition. It constantly prevents a person from looking positively at the situation. Even with the appearance of positive thoughts, they are quickly overshadowed by negative emotions.

Emotional consequences

The effect of stress on a person is reflected in his emotional state. This is not a disease, but the longer these conditions are, the more often they can lead to the development of diseases. These symptoms - the effects of stress include:

Irritability, temper, attacks of aggression.
Moodiness.
Feeling of fatigue, which appears even after minor physical or mental labor.

A prolonged state of stress leads to the fact that a person cannot relax emotionally, which is why he gradually becomes depressed.

The consequences are a feeling of loneliness, an inferiority complex that affect the failure of the individual.

Behavioral consequences

The consequences of stress can be expressed in the behavior of a person, which can also affect his health as a result. Stress and its effect on the human body is a frequent reason to study biochemical processes in the body. A long period of negative events leads to the following changes:

Impaired appetite. With constant stress, an increased appetite is more often observed, a person "seizes" his problems. However, with a deep penetration into problems, periods with a lack or a reduced appetite can form.
Detachment from social life.
The effects of stress are also expressed in sleep disturbance. At the same time, there is one peculiarity - in the morning hours a person feels not asleep and tired, and only after a few hours he comes to a normal state.
A person ceases to perform basic hygiene skills, he becomes indifferent to himself, to his work.
The formation of dependence is also a consequence of stress. Smoking, alcohol - these methods a person tries to apply for himself in order to get rid of the negative state.
The result of a constant stressful situation is such bad habits as masturbation, desire to scratch oneself, bite nails.

Health effects

The effect of stress on human health is certainly negative. Against the background of stresses, diseases of the nerves and other organs and systems can form. How dangerous is stress in this situation, and can it really provoke serious diseases? What happens in the body during stress? We will try to consider all the physiological consequences:

The stressful situation in women can lead to disruption of the menstrual cycle. Often a woman is bothered by pain on the eve of menstruation, which sometimes wanes.
Stress and its consequences are expressed by pains of a different nature. They radiate to almost all parts of the body, and can indicate different diseases. But more often they appear either from nervous diseases that have already developed against the background of overstrain, or are an elementary psychosomatic condition.
Pain in the epigastric region, indigestion, constipation - all these symptoms are a consequence of how stress affects the body.
Changes in urination processes also relate to a number of consequences, while a person goes to the toilet often, but gives off a minimum of urine, the organoleptic properties of which can also be changed.
The effect of stress on human health is expressed in its tendency to respiratory diseases. Against the background of a constant decline in mood, immunity decreases. In this case, symptoms such as persistent cough, respiratory failure, chronic runny nose are characteristic.
Nerve diseases are often formed due to the effect on the body and body of prolonged negative events. Symptoms of such pathologies are characteristic of stress.
Changes in glucose levels in the body are the same effects of stress, since insulin production is impaired. More often, there is a tendency to an increase in blood sugar than its decrease. This dangerous condition should be avoided, as you can even lose consciousness.
Although nerve diseases are more common than other pathologies that are formed due to the influence of stresses, and are dangerous for the body, problems with the cardiovascular system and organs associated with it are no exception. Tachycardia, arrhythmia, bradycardia - all these symptoms can affect the overall functionality of the body, although they are the result of a nervous strain.

The effect of stress on the human body can manifest itself in a decrease in libido and sexual desire. You should remember the simple truth - all diseases from nerves. This is true, and many people have already confirmed the fact that our bodies and the body suffer from frequent psycho-emotional disorders.

Now you know what stress is and its effect on a person and his health. Try to do all things in a timely manner, rest more often and get rid of everything that provokes a stressful state!

Hello everyone! Stress is the immediate response of the human body to dramatically changing external conditions. It can be any situation, both harmless and requiring caution. The individual is able to experience shock at the sight of a car rushing into a red light, when an aggressive person or a stray dog \u200b\u200bapproaches. Such situations cause the release of hormones, with the help of which one or another reaction to such an event is formed.

Nowadays, stress is an integral part of everyday human existence. Its peculiarity lies in the manner in which and with what intensity the body of the individual will respond to the current situation. Most often, the greatest load falls on the emotional or physical sphere. And today we will talk about how stress affects human health.

Causes of stress

The most common causes of stress are:

overload;
new job;
constant bossing;
severe shock;
conflict;
anxiety;
panic fear;
diffidence;
significant hypothermia;
possible accident;
disease;
trauma;
hunger;
thirst and others

Such effects entail a corresponding reaction of the body. It can be very different. It depends on the complexity of the situation and its impact on the person. It also matters whether he himself is involved in it, the people for whom he is responsible or his relatives.

It is very important how it manifests itself. A person either hides and suppresses them. There may be such an option that he does not show the feelings that he actually experiences in order to achieve the necessary reaction of others.

Stress can occur at any time. Even a small child, who is called to the board in school, is already experiencing it. In the future, almost every step of an adult is accompanied by one or another negative impact.

What are the reactions to stress

If there are too many such situations or the body's reaction to them is inadequate, then they can cause harm. Gradually:

the person becomes anxious;
he is declining;
he is constantly nervous;
annoyed;
crying
screaming;
swears, etc.

As a result, he gets exhausted very quickly, gets tired, his attention is dissipated, his memory is declining, muscle clamps begin to appear, entailing quite severe pains.

Human health is gradually beginning to suffer. Oriental medicine generally believes that most diseases occur under the influence of stress. Indeed, bronchial asthma, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, gastric ulcer, etc. develop precisely due to nervous overload.

This happens because a significant negative nervous effect does not pass without a trace for a person. He develops a severe disorder of the emotional sphere, temporary under normal conditions or permanent under ongoing stress. Any malfunction in the body of an individual begins with psychological trauma. It is she who pulls along with herself and other dysfunctions of internal organs.

Therefore, specialists in the field of medicine and psychology are closely engaged in the study of this serious problem. It is proved that most diseases of internal organs occur under the influence of nerve overload. If they are repeated too much, then pathology may develop.

It happens as follows. At the time of a stressful situation, endocrine organs are activated. Active release of hormones begins. Their excessive amount has a strong effect on the brain, stomach, cardiovascular system. If this state is delayed or not neutralized, then a failure occurs.

A sharp exit of a large number of different hormones leads to a significant increase in heart rate, sudden jumps in blood pressure, and the reaction of the parasympathetic system. If this is repeated often enough, then gradually the body's defenses are reduced. Sometimes a poor state of immunity is no longer able to protect a person from even the development of cancer.

Thus, the abundance of stress weakens a person, disrupts his metabolism, and inhibits the regeneration processes in cells and tissues. From this suffer:

leather;
muscle
brain;
spinal cord;
bones;
hair;
nails
thyroid;
spine, etc.

The bones become thinner, which leads to fractures, and a constantly increased hormonal background disrupts the activity of metabolism, the genitourinary system, the gastrointestinal tract and nerves.

In order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to give stress a way out. This is possible in the presence of muscle or emotional stress. If you do not accumulate it, but get rid, then it can even be useful for the body.

The essence of hormonal attack is to activate all the systems needed to cope with the situation. Since these days increased efforts for this, as a rule, are not required, the way out can be given through an emotional or muscular response. Subsequently, the body, faced with a similar problem, no longer reacts to it so sharply, but quickly finds a solution already embedded in memory cells.

If stress occurs only occasionally and is not destructive, then it can be beneficial to health. This happens when its action does not exceed the danger of the situation or a person can cope with it. The main thing is that the problems do not become too frequent and strong. Otherwise, the body simply stops fighting them.

First, headaches begin to appear. Then arrhythmia occurs, an increase in blood pressure. After a short time, these pathologies generalize and become chronic.

It is very important not to try to cope with stress with alcohol, smoking or drugs. In addition to a strong blow to the psyche, the influence of such substances will significantly worsen the state of health. The consequences may be delayed. That is, at first the person will feel relief, and then a serious illness will gradually arise that can even lead to death.

How stress affects human health

Then a condition called distress appears. It negatively affects health, damaging cells and tissues. It is subdivided into:

nervous;
short-term;
chronic;
psychological;
physiological.

Therefore, stress can affect a person in a variety of ways. Do not think that for a significant violation of health requires too much nervous shock. Small, but constantly recurring nervous situations are no less dangerous. Gradually they merge together and pose a direct threat to health.

It can manifest itself sharply, under the influence of a specific negative situation, or accumulate day after day in a traumatic situation.

Then stress can create serious problems. This is because its course obeys a certain logic. The response of the body is aimed at helping a person adapt to the created unfavorable situation.

Therefore, stress passes through three successive periods of time, consisting of anxiety, the stage of adaptation to specific conditions and exhaustion, if this did not happen.

Anxiety and adaptation is the normal course of this reaction, leading to positive results. But in the case when there are a lot of stressful situations and the body does not have time to adapt to them or they are repeated so often that the adaptation loses its strength, the stage of exhaustion begins. It is usually followed by the development of any disease.

They can manifest themselves in the psyche, nervous system, metabolism and the functioning of the internal organs of a person. If he already suffers from a disease, it may aggravate and even degenerate into a malignant tumor. Most often, an excess of stressful situations leads to:

coronary heart disease;
heart attack;
a stroke;
hypertension
angina pectoris;
cholecystitis;
duodenal ulcer;
gastric colic;
dermatitis;
urticaria;
neurodermatitis;
neurosis.

The nervous system and psyche do considerable harm. It becomes increasingly difficult for a person to cope with ordinary everyday situations, he ceases to believe in himself, it is difficult for him to force himself to do something, he does not believe in the success of the work that he has begun. Gradually, he develops depression and even suicidal thoughts arise.

A completely healthy person may begin to catch a cold first. Then suffer from mild ailments, and subsequently discover that he has developed a serious illness.

Very harmful stress for women. Under its constant influence, they age, the skin ceases to be fresh and supple, and the hair begins to thin.

Thus, a person should be able to cope with such situations or, if it is not possible, to avoid them. If you live in a state of constant nervous tension, this can result in very serious consequences.

Under the influence of chronic stress, the human body simply wears out, the resources of its psyche and nervous system are depleted, and internal organs cease to cope with their load. The individual becomes ill and is not always able to recover. As soon as one disease recedes, another immediately begins. The overall life expectancy is also decreasing.

Therefore, it should be understood that stress can occur both under the influence of an external situation (conflict, attack), and internal (anxiety, fear). Moreover, the problem does not have to be real, it can only happen in the imagination of a person. For example, a student who is well prepared for the exam experiences an inexplicable horror before the teacher. Or a person who has received a new position and is thoroughly familiar with the technological process is worried that he will not be able to cope with the work.

Therefore, the manifestation of such unreasonable emotions should be controlled, since the human brain, which sends signals to the endocrine organs, does not distinguish where the real danger lies, and where the imaginary one.

In addition, even if a person has already developed any psychosomatic illness, he must learn to properly respond to stressful situations. This can be achieved by putting your emotional reactions under the control of the mind, for example,.

If a person begins to be fully aware that every traumatic problem leads to a sharp deterioration in his health, then he should think about how important it is for him to work in an unfriendly team, engage in unnecessarily nervous work or be married to an alcoholic.

Now you know how stress affects human health. Take care of yourself! See you soon!

The state of stress is perceived by most people as uniquely negative. However, experts are not so categorical in their assessments. They define stress as a natural, regular and quite expected reaction to various external stimuli that cause disturbances in the psychoemotional sphere. Currently, the causes of stress often include economic instability in the world, the unstable financial situation of people, which causes anxiety and concern for their own future. And since it is impossible to avoid such problems, the effect of stress on human health becomes permanent. What this can lead to is useful for every modern person to know.

The effect of stress on the human body at the physiological level

Usually people diagnose themselves with stress by the unpleasant sensations of a psychoemotional property, but no less vividly it affects the work of the body's internal systems. Therefore, noting the effect of stress on health, physiological factors are also worth considering. The main in this regard are such processes as:

automatic increase in blood sugar - glucose is necessary as an energy source, which in turn is needed to activate the body's defenses; therefore, constant stress can lead to diabetes;
a sharp reduction in the thymus gland - it is part of the human immune system and is responsible for the production of white blood cells; with frequent uncontrolled contraction of this organ, white blood cells are not produced, which reduces the level of natural defense of the body;
muscles are involuntarily tensed - if this happens regularly and does not alternate with long periods of relaxation, it can lead to the destruction of muscle cells and tissues that make up the internal organs;
the diameter of the capillaries increases, they expand, with severe stress they can burst, causing hematomas, blueness and unnatural pallor of the skin, impaired blood supply to tissues and organs;
fraudulent processes in the cells are disrupted, and they begin to produce large amounts of toxins, which are not naturally eliminated, but accumulate, poisoning the body.

The effect of stress on the psychosomatic health of a person

No less destructive is the stressful state at the level of psychosomatics. The negative effect of stress in this case is manifested as follows:

bouts of aggression, anger, irritability;
mood swings;
loss of strength, loss of interest in life;
sleep disturbance;
loss of self-confidence, hypochondria, neurosis;
persistent headaches;
heart rhythm disturbance, exacerbation of chronic diseases;
disruptions in the hormonal sphere;
decreased performance;
increased risk of oncology on the background of a constantly depressed emotional state.

Stress and its effect on the human body are well studied by doctors and psychologists, since this problem is becoming commonplace at the present time. Everyone can be in a stressful situation, regardless of age, gender and social status. Stress is a protective mechanism for unusual physical and mental stress and strong emotions. Being in a non-standard situation, which requires an important decision, excitement appears, palpitations speed up, weakness and dizziness occur. If the effect of stress on the human body reaches a peak, then there comes complete moral and physical exhaustion.

Causes of stress

Overvoltage can be caused by any factor, but experts divide them into two categories.
Firstly, these are changes in the usual course of life:

increased workloads;
discord in personal life (intimate life);
lack of understanding on the part of loved ones;
acute shortage of money and others.

Secondly, these are internal problems that arise through imagination:

pessimistic mood;
low self-esteem;
overstatement of requirements not only to oneself, but also to others;
inner struggle of personality.

It is wrong to assume that only negative emotions are stress factors. The effect of stress on human health also comes from an overabundance of positive emotions, for example, a wedding or rapid career growth.

Having determined the cause of stress, it is necessary to eradicate it. If irritation is caused by the words or actions of a familiar person, then you should clearly articulate your claims and express them to the object of your discontent. If the last forces take away professional activities, then it is better to find a new place. Do not be afraid to radically change your lifestyle, to exclude from it all the negative aspects for your own peace of mind.

Stages of stress

Any living creature tries to adapt to environmental conditions. Canadian scientist Selye in 1936 proved that with an extremely strong impact, the human body refuses to adapt. Thus, three stages of stress were identified, depending on the hormonal background of the person:

Anxiety. This is the preparatory stage, during which a powerful release of hormones occurs. The body prepares for protection or for flight.
Resistance. The person becomes aggressive, irritable, begins the fight against the disease.
Exhaustion. During the struggle, all reserve energy reserves were expended. The body loses its ability to resist, and disorders of a psychosomatic nature begin, up to a deep depression or death.

Stress directly affects the healthy performance of the human body. The work of internal organs and systems is suppressed, a feeling of depression appears.
The effect of stress on human health has various manifestations, the main of which are:

headaches that do not have a characteristic localization;
chronic lack of sleep and insomnia;
functional disorders of the cardiovascular system: bradycardia,
arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction;
impaired concentration, increased fatigue, decreased performance;
gastrointestinal tract disorders: gastritis, ulcer, dyspepsia of neurotic origin;
oncological problems are exacerbated;
decreased immunity, as a result of which the body may undergo a viral infection;
violation of neuroendocrine regulation, irregular production of hormones, leads to the development of osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus or other metabolic diseases;
dystrophy of brain tissue, muscle stiffness or atony;
alcohol or drug addiction may occur.

His mood directly depends on the hormonal background of a person. The anti-stress hormone is responsible for the correct psychological attitude in the body. Cortisol helps to move towards the goal, gives strength and motivation for action. The level of the hormone in the blood varies depending on the emotional mood of the person, his plans for the near future.
If the body is in a stressful state, then psychologically, it cannot adequately respond to the actions around it. This is manifested in overstated requirements for oneself and for people around. Calmness is lost, internal balance is disturbed, as a result of which there is apathy for life.

Consequences of a violation of the psychoemotional background:

exhaustion of mental strength leads to neurosis, depression and others mental illness;
loss of interest in life, lack of any desires;
disturbances in sleep and wakefulness;
emotional instability: attacks of aggression, outbursts of anger, irritability;
inner feeling of anxiety.

Monotonous monotonous work, constant emotional tone leads to the fact that performance begins to decline, constant fatigue is felt.
The work directly shows signs of overwork:

regular erroneous actions;
desire to sleep: yawning, eyes closed;
lack of appetite;
migraine, noise in the head
eye pain
the soaring nature of thoughts, lack of concentration;
unwillingness to continue working.

Fatigue tends to accumulate, if you do not help your body deal with stress, then the level of performance can drop permanently.

Recovery from stress

A distinctive feature of a morally strong person is resistance to negative influences. Total self-control is the best protection against stressful situations. You can hide from troubles, but for a normal state of mind you need to be able to deal with problems.

A complex of calming and relaxing measures will help to recover from stressful effects:

The positive effects of stress on the human body

If the body shake occurred for a short time, then it can be beneficial:

Thus, stress and its effect on humans are different. Emotional tone positively affects the mental sphere, but after control and increased activity, exhaustion of vital resources follows. Nervous tension will pass on its own, as soon as the cause of its occurrence disappears. It is very important to monitor your emotional and physiological state, if it is impossible to exclude an irritating factor, consult a specialist.