14 DAY TRIAL // A team of scientists at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSL) has recently compiled a list detailing how chronic stress impacts various organs of the human body, from the gut and back to the heart and the brain. Their work may help us all steer clear of the negative effects stress has.
Most people do not know this, but stress can significantly affect the gut and bowels by causing diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders. Another hidden effect is produced on our backs, as stress can trigger involuntary muscle contractions in the neck, back and jaw.
The heart is especially susceptible to influences from both acute and chronic stress. Cardiomyopathy is generally favored by stress, as are a host of other cardiovascular diseases. “The best thing to do is prevention — tobacco cessation, treating high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight. But also educating yourself about the effects of anxiety and anger,” says WUSL professor Andy Kates, MD.
Stress also produces effects on the brain, in the sense that it prevents synapses from closing. This can be a burden when you try to get some sleep at night. The negative effects of sleep deprivation on mental and physical health are very well documented. Additionally, stress causes elevated levels of certain hormones, which can damage neurons.