Stress is an inseparable part of life. It gets us in various situations, causing sweating, accelerated heartbeat and nervousness. Other times, it can motivate us to act and make us function better. However, its long-term effect can be disastrous for health. Check if your ailments are not related to too much stress!
One of the signs that stress is eating you up is back pain. Although the spine can hurt for various reasons – an uncomfortable bed, slouching, prolonged standing or sitting – in most cases, however, nerves are to blame. According to statistics, every fourth Pole and every fifth Pole complains about back pain!
When we are nervous, the muscles of the back tighten – mainly the cervical and lower spine. As a result, we begin to feel pain, which can even lead to discopathy and inflammation.
Tiny and gnashing teeth
Excessive weight gain can also be related to stress. The nervous system, which is responsible for our emotions, produces cortisol and adrenaline during these stronger ones. When it comes to the issue of extra kilos, it is cortisol that is responsible for their formation.
Its task is to keep us in a state of mobilization, and at the same time to supplement energy deficiencies – it is it that makes us so eager to throw ourselves at unhealthy food. What is sweet, fatty and salty causes the release of substances that relieve tension in the brain, which is why we are so eager to eat what is unhealthy.
Another effect of too much nerves on a daily basis is bruxism – teeth grinding during sleep. Many people are not aware of having this ailment. Only the person who sleeps with them or the dentist who sees worn teeth realizes the existence of a problem. The reason for bruxism is most often just stress and phobias.
Other unpleasant effects
Stress also threatens our fertility, which is caused by the secretion of the enzyme alpha-amylase. In men, strong emotions have a negative impact on semen quality – sperm is smaller and slower.
In addition, cortisol released under stress impairs memory – it interferes with the functions of neurotransmitters, which causes not only temporary memory problems, but also long-term ones in the future.
The last unpleasant effect of stress is premature aging myself. Unfortunately, the saying “gray hair from nerves” did not come out of nowhere. Our bodies’ telomeres, which protect the ends of our chromosomes, naturally shorten with age. Based on them, you can determine how long we will live and how quickly we age. Telomeres are related to stress – they become shorter faster in nervous people, and (thus) they age faster. It turns out that reducing stress and switching to a healthy lifestyle can slow down this process and even reverse it!