Stress Effects

Posted by Dr. Joshua Fox

Stress is a component of our everyday life. Modern lifestyles are full of hassles, deadlines, aggravation, pressure, and demands. Especially in New York, stress is so common that it has become a way of life. Stress can have a positive and negative impact in our lives. Stress can help us perform better when under pressure. But when you’re continuously challenged without relief or relaxation it can lead to distress. People with high levels of stress are at higher risk for heart disease, obesity, headaches, and depression. When our bodies experience stress they react to it. Some reactions include:

• Keeping Cancer Cells Active. Recent research shows that being stressed can cause anti-cancer drugs to be less effective and help cancer cells survive. Cancer cells feeds off of stress and the adrenaline produced by our body.
• Shrinkage of the Brain. Stress can actually shrink the brain by reducing gray matter in regions tied to emotional and physiological functions.
• Premature Aging. When a young child is exposed to violence at an early age it can cause them to stress and as a result lead to premature aging of the cells.
• Increased Risk for Chronic Disease. The major reason for an increased risk of chronic disease is how your body is reacting to the stress. People that are more stressed out and anxious are more likely to have a chronic condition 10 years later.
• Heart Attack. Feeling anxious and stressed has the same effect on the heart as smoking 5 cigarettes a day, which is a 27 percent higher risk of heart attack.