Diseases That Can Be Negatively Affected By Stress: Facts For A Healthy Life

The diseases that come to mind that are affected by stress are cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal problems.  These may be the two health conditions that doctors associate with stress.  Mental stress is a major trigger for heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.  Those patients who have coped with large amounts of stress in their life are more at risk for serious cardiac events and death.  Stress activates the nervous system that affects organs, especially the heart.  People under stress are more prone to heart rhythm problems and other heart problems.  Sudden stress results in increasing the pumping action of the heart causing arteries to constrict and slowing blood flow to the heart.

Emotional stress can cause a disruption in the heart rhythm and create a serious risk for people who already have arrhythmia problems.  Blood becomes thicker and stickier when the body is under stress.  This happens to allow for any potential injury but can also cause clotting that could plug a major artery.  Stress signals the body to release fat into the system and raises cholesterol levels.  In some women stress reduces estrogen levels that are important for a healthy heart.

Stress causes a greater risk of depression and low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Low levels of serotonin and cause production of some immune proteins that cause inflammation in cells, including the heart cells.  There is also a direct link between stress and high blood pressure.  If you are experiencing peaks of high blood pressure and this is occurring over an extended time, injuries may develop in the inner lining of their blood vessels.  The ways we deal with stress may also be a cause of heart disease in patients who have work related stress.  They have unhealthy eating and exercise habits and may turn to alcohol or drugs as a way of coping.

Gastrointestinal problems are aggravated by stress.  The intestines are strongly affected by hormones and the nervous system.  Prolonged stress can disrupt the routine and work of the digestive system and cause diarrhea, constipation, cramping, and bloating.  The stomach may produce too much digestive acid and cause burning in the bowels.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is strongly related to stress.  The large intestine is irritated and muscle contractions are spastic instead of smooth and coming in waves.  The abdomen bloats and a patient experiences cramping and could alternate between periods of constipation and diarrhea.  If you are having sleep problems because of stress, this also affects IBS.

Peptic ulcers are another serious stomach disturbance caused by stress.  Studies now show that ulcers are caused by the H. pylori bacteria or by anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen.  Stress has been shown to irritate ulcers.  Doctors still look at stress factors in the lives of their ulcer patients and urge them to reduce the stress in their life.

Stress has not been proven to cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease but there are many reports of a connection between the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the flare-ups that occur.  It was found that long-term stress tripled the flare-ups experienced by the patients.