Stress
Stress is our body reaction to physical or mental demands of outside forces. Normally a little stress is a good thing, as It keeps us alert and ready to handle anything our body perceives as a danger. However, too much stress can be detrimental to our health. During the stress response, the body’s immune system is weakened, making it weak to infection under periods of intense stress. Some other problems that can occur with stress build up include headache, GI problems, high blood pressure, and can even lead to certain types of cardiovascular disease when not addressed.
What causes this stress response? When the body encounters a situation in which it deems a threat the response is to release the hormones adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. This activates what is known as the “fight or flight response”. Normally, after the perceived threat has passed, the levels of these stress hormones are brought back down to normal. However, when a person constantly feels like they are under stress the body is essentially in a constant state of fight or flight. This is where the negative effects take place as the body is under constant strain.