It's not uncommon for people to ask, "How does stress affect health?" We have often heard rumors about how stress can ruin you physically and mentally. Is there any truth to it?

The truth is that researchers are still trying to determine the exact effects of stress. There are several studies that show a tentative but strong connection between stress and certain health problems. Some things are already certain though. Studies show for example that at the most, 90% of complaints in clinics are due to stress with 43% of people suffering badly from stress. The OSHA itself has said that stress is a major work hazard.

There are many possible health problems that could be due to stress. Here are only some of them:

- Heart disease is one of the top killers in America. Aside from diet and lifestyle habits, stress seems to have a hand in the development of heart problems. Heart rate and blood pressure shoot up in moments of extreme stress. Prolonged episodes like this can harm the arteries. Heart disease could follow.

- How does stress affect health on a daily basis? Stress can actually weaken your immune system. This happens when stress hormones suppress the function of the immune system. With the system not functioning at 100%, a person under stress becomes more susceptible to colds, flu, and other kinds of bacterial and viral infections.

- You could gain more weight when under stress. This is due to the body's quick use of carbohydrate stores. This in turn could encourage you to eat more. On the flip side, those who are too busy to even eat could lose weight and consume all of their energy stores. That would leave them with nothing to draw energy and nutrients from.

- Most of us already know that stomach problems also occur with stress. A tense situation could cause irregular or improper digestion. This could lead to diarrhea. It is also possible for stressed out individuals to develop hyperacidity. This can happen to you if missing your meals because of work or other concerns is already a common habit with you.

- People who are too tense are in danger of developing mental disorders. This can only be expected since too much anxiety can naturally lead to an anxiety disorder or to depression. When mental problems surface, the social and physical aspects of oneself can also become affected and potentially neglected.

- If you worry too much over problems, you could lose your ability to sleep well. Being able to sleep for a short while and waking up tense are signs that stress may have gotten the better of you. This is not a good thing. Night sleep is essential to keep the body thoroughly rested and recharged.

- Stress also translates to a variety of body problems that don't seem to have any other clear cause. You could experience muscle aches, headaches, gum disease, hair loss and many more.

How does stress affect health? It is obvious that stress can affect you in more ways than one. Make sure you find a way to get stress out of your daily life.

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