What should I know about physical changes and disease caused by stress

From Audiopedia - Accessible Learning for All
Revision as of 17:59, 13 July 2023 by Marcelheyne (talk | contribs) (XML import)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search
QR for this page

https://www.audiopedia.org/What_should_I_know_about_physical_changes_and_disease_caused_by_stress

When a person experiences stress, the body gets ready to react quickly and fight off the stress. Some of the changes that occur are:

  • The heart starts beating faster.
  • The blood pressure goes up.
  • A person breathes faster.
  • Digestion slows down.

If the stress is sudden and severe, a woman may feel these changes in her body. Then, once the stress is gone, her body returns to normal. But if the stress is less severe or happens slowly, she may not notice how the stress is affecting her body, even though the signs are still there.

Stress that goes on for a long time can lead to the physical signs common in anxiety and depression, like headache, intestinal problems, and lack of energy. Over time, stress can also cause illness, like high blood pressure that can lead to heart attack or stroke.

In many places, emotional problems are not considered as important as physical problems. When this happens, people may be more likely to have physical signs of anxiety and depression than other signs. While it is important not to ignore physical signs, it is important to also be sensitive to the emotional causes of illness.

Sources
  • Burns, A. A., Niemann, S., Lovich, R., Maxwell, J., & Shapiro, K. (2014). Where women have no doctor: A health guide for women. Hesperian Foundation.
  • Audiopedia ID: en011511