Stress and its impact on a person. The impact of stress on human health

Stress is a kind of replica of the body in response to unusual external requirements. It is an integral part of life experience. At different times, the sources of disturbing situations were different - predators, epidemics, campaigns of conquest, natural disasters and man-made disasters.

Every person is subject to experiences, and stress has a certain effect on human body regardless of what caused it.

Phases of development of stress

The founder of the doctrine of stress, Hans Selye, distinguishes three stages of its progress.

First stage- a feeling of anxiety, provoked by an increased synthesis of hormones by the adrenal cortex, which give energy to adapt to unusual circumstances.

Next stage- resistance phase. If the body has adapted to the requirements, the production of the hormone is normalized. Anxiety symptoms go away, and the degree of body resistance increases significantly.

Last phase- exhaustion. After prolonged exposure to a stimulus to which the individual is accustomed, the adaptive abilities of the body decrease, anxiety returns, and deformations in the adrenal cortex and other internal organs become irreversible.
All three stages in the development of stress constantly replace each other: first there is a reaction of surprise due to the lack of suitable experience, then a person learns to cope with a new situation, after which fatigue comes.

Causes of Stress: Why Stress Occurs

The impact of stressful positions due to the emergence of many diseases. In order to learn how to neutralize the harmful effects of stress and protect yourself from relapse, you need to find the primary source of psycho-emotional stress.

The most common causes of stress are emotional factors. Each illness or injury, physiological and psychological stress, infections and illnesses provoke tension in the body.

There are also many universal reasons for the emergence and progress of stress: too fast pace of life, excessive information flow, loss of traditions, overcrowding, constant lack of time, decrease in physical activity, illiterate diet.

Stress in small doses has a positive effect on a person: the formation of glucose in the liver is activated, fat is burned faster and more efficiently, inhibited inflammatory processes increases the body's resistance.

However, chronic exposure to stressors always negatively affects the state and capabilities of all organs and systems. Emotional internal pressure will certainly find the weakest point in the body: the nervous system, digestive tract, immunity, and suppressed tension will turn into a disease or an addiction.

The most common signs of chronic stress are:

incessant migraines,
constant lack of sleep
ailments of cardio-vascular system move into sharp shape, appear high blood pressure and tachycardia,
addictions are formed in various variations, including alcohol, gaming and drug addiction,
increased fatigue, deterioration in concentration and memory capabilities,
exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, the appearance of gastritis or ulcers,
increased trauma,
weakened immunity, as a result - constant colds and viral illnesses,
decreased sensitivity.

The consequences of the constant presence of stressful situations are often insomnia, irritability, unmotivated anger and depression.

Moreover, the results of exposure to stress may not be revealed immediately, but after some time develop into a dangerous disease. Hormones synthesized by the body during the period of life collisions are necessary, but their quantity should not go off scale.

The negative impact is getting worse sedentary lifestyle. Active elements rotate in the body for a long time in high concentration, keeping the body in a state of tension.

How stress affects the organs and systems of the body

If a person is nervous, working out cortisol rapidly growing in the body; which, in turn, compromises the functioning of the immune system. Levels rise when anxiety is high adrenaline, due to which hypertension appears, sweating becomes more active. The increased synthesis of these hormones makes it very difficult for some human organs to work.

Effects of stressors on the skin

Constant tension provokes a lot of skin problems: from the usual acne to eczema and other forms of dermatitis. Sometimes the skin becomes sensitive and prone to allergic manifestations.

Effect of stress on the brain

Stress causes constant headaches, which is explained by the increase in tension in the neck and shoulders. Therefore, migraine weakens if a person manages to sleep or just relax. Long-term anxiety coupled with depression can cause Alzheimer's disease by stimulating the growth of the proteins that cause it.

If an individual tries to relieve stress by smoking or drinking alcohol, brain cells are exposed to the most destructive effect, which leads to memory loss.

Pressure on the heart

Since stress is a provocateur of hypertension, it also becomes a source of heart disease. Prolonged stress violates the normal level of sugar in the blood and leads to type 2 diabetes mellitus and loss of vascular elasticity.
Stressors can change the rhythm of the heart and increase the likelihood of a stroke or heart attack.

Consequences for the stomach and intestines

The digestive system is very sensitive to the effects of stress, food is not digested properly. The volume of gastric secretion changes, disrupting blood circulation in the intestine. Constant anxiety can change the composition of the microflora and cause serious gastrointestinal diseases.

The role of stress in the immune system

Under the influence of stress factors the immune system reduces protection, and the body becomes defenseless against viruses, bacteria and cancerous growths. Chronic stress leads to the fact that the immune system is not able to adequately respond to hormonal surges; and this provokes inflammatory processes in the human body.

Occupational stress

Residents of megacities are more exposed to the increased influence of stressors on the body. Chronic stress often appears in the background of overtime and hard work.

Its main reasons are:

high intensity of work or its monotony,
rush jobs and initially insufficient deadlines for completing the task,
malnutrition,
mode of operation that is not suitable for a particular individual,
conflicts with management or colleagues,
hazardous operating conditions.

An employee exposed to occupational stress quickly burns out as a valuable specialist.

How to deal with stress

Stress is considered the root cause of a decrease in life expectancy, people who are in a state of permanent tension cannot even perform daily duties. And what would be good to learn is to adequately respond to difficulties.

Here it is important not to change drastically living conditions, not to give up routine habitual affairs. Their monotony has a beneficial effect on mood.

The day should preferably start with physical activity . Yoga and meditation, tai chi and other techniques that have been tested for centuries will help. It is very important to have a good enough rest.

Particular attention should be paid to nutrition. The menu should be formed from low-calorie and fresh food filled with vitamins and useful substances. The amount of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol should be reduced to the lowest possible doses.

Balm for the soul often becomes communication. It is necessary to regularly visit theaters, live music concerts, and museums. You need to find what brings joy and enjoy life.

Stress and its effect on the human body has been studied quite well by doctors and psychologists, since this problem is becoming commonplace at the present time. Everyone can find themselves in a stressful situation, regardless of age, gender and social status. Stress is a defense mechanism against unusual physical and mental stress and strong emotions. Being in unusual situation, which requires an important decision, excitement appears, the heartbeat quickens, weakness and dizziness occur. If the effect of stress on the human body has reached its peak, then complete moral and physical exhaustion sets in.

Causes of stress

Any factor can cause overvoltage, but experts divide them into two categories.
First, these are changes in the usual course of life:

increased workload;
discord in personal life (intimate life);
misunderstanding on the part of relatives;
acute shortage of money and others.

Secondly, these are internal problems that are generated by imagination:

pessimistic attitude;
low self-esteem;
overestimation of requirements not only to oneself, but also to others;
inner struggle of the individual.

It is wrong to consider that only negative emotions are stress factors. The impact of stress on human health is also from an overabundance of positive emotions, for example, a wedding or a rapid career growth.

Having determined the cause of the appearance of stress, it is necessary to eradicate it. If the irritation is caused by the words or actions of a familiar person, then it is worthwhile to clearly formulate your claims in advance and express them to the object of your discontent. If the last strength takes classes professional activity it's better to find yourself a new place. Do not be afraid to radically change your lifestyle, to exclude from it all the negative aspects for the sake of your own peace of mind.

Stages of stress

Any living being tries to adapt to the conditions environment. The Canadian scientist Selye proved in 1936 that with an extremely strong impact, the human body refuses to adapt. Thus, three stages of stress were identified, depending on the hormonal background of a person:

Anxiety. This is the preparatory stage, during which there is a powerful release of hormones. The body prepares for defense or flight.
Resistance. A person becomes aggressive, irritable, begins to fight the disease.
Exhaustion. During the struggle, all reserve energy reserves were used up. The body loses its ability to resist, and psychosomatic disorders begin, up to deep depression or death.

Stress directly affects the health of the human body. Suppressed work internal organs and systems, there is a feeling of depression.
The impact of stress on human health has various manifestations, the main of which are:

headaches that do not have a characteristic localization;
chronic sleep deprivation and insomnia;
functional disorders of the cardiovascular system: bradycardia,
arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction;
impaired concentration, increased fatigue, decreased performance;
disorders of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, ulcers, dyspepsia of neurotic origin;
oncological problems are aggravated;
decreased immunity, as a result of which the body may undergo a viral infection;
violation of neuroendocrine regulation, irregular production of hormones, leads to the development of osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus or other metabolic diseases;
degeneration of brain tissue, muscle rigidity or atony;
alcohol or drug addiction may occur.

A person's mood directly depends on the hormonal background of a person. The anti-stress hormone is responsible for the correct psychological mood in the body. Cortisol helps to move towards the goal, gives strength and motivation for action. The level of the hormone in the blood varies depending on the emotional state of the person, his plans for the near future.
If the body is in a stressful state, then psychologically, it cannot adequately respond to the actions taking place around it. This manifests itself in excessive demands on oneself and on the people around. Calmness is lost, internal balance is disturbed, as a result of which apathy for life appears.

The consequences of a violation of the psycho-emotional background:

depletion of mental strength leads to neurosis, depression and other mental illness;
loss of interest in life, lack of any desires;
violations of sleep and wakefulness;
emotional instability: attacks of aggression, outbursts of anger, irritability;
an inner sense of anxiety.

Monotonous monotonous work, constant emotional tone lead to the fact that performance begins to decline, one feels constant fatigue.
At work, signs of overwork are directly manifested:

regular erroneous actions;
desire to sleep: yawning, eyes closing;
lack of appetite;
migraine, noise in the head
eye pain;
hovering nature of thoughts, lack of concentration;
unwillingness to continue working.

Fatigue tends to accumulate, if you do not help your body fight stress, then the level of performance can decrease irrevocably.

Recovery of the body after stress

A distinctive feature of a morally strong person is resistance to negative influences. Total self-control is the best defense against stressful situations. You can hide from troubles, but for a normal state of mind, you must be able to deal with problems.

A set of calming and relaxing activities will help you recover from stressful exposure:

The positive effect of stress on the human body

If the shake-up of the body occurred for a short time, then it can be beneficial:

Thus, stress and its effect on a person is different. Emotional tone has a positive effect on the mental sphere, but control and increased activity are followed by the depletion of vital resources. Nervous tension will pass on its own as soon as the cause of its occurrence disappears. It is very important to monitor your emotional and physiological state, if it is impossible to exclude an irritating factor, contact a specialist.

Hello everyone! Stress is an immediate response of the human body to rapidly changing external conditions. It can be any situation, both harmless and requiring caution. An individual is able to experience shock at the sight of a car racing through a red light, at the approach of an aggressive person, or stray dog. Such situations cause the release of hormones, with the help of which one or another reaction to such an event is formed.

Stress is an essential part of everyday human existence these days. Its peculiarity lies in exactly how and with what intensity the individual's body will react to the current situation. Most often, the greatest burden falls on the emotional or physical sphere. And today we will talk about how stress affects human health.

Causes of stress

The most common causes of stress are:

overload;
new job;
constant nagging of the boss;
strong shock;
conflict;
anxiety;
panic fear;
lack of self-esteem;
significant hypothermia;
possible accident;
disease;
received injury;
hunger;
thirst, etc.

Such influences entail a corresponding reaction of the organism. It can be very different. It depends on the complexity of the situation and its impact on the person. It also matters whether he himself, the people for whom he is responsible or his relatives are involved in it.

It is very important how it manifests itself. The person either hides and suppresses them. It may also be an option that he does not show the feelings that he actually experiences in order to achieve the necessary reaction of others.

Stress can arise at any time. Even Small child, who is called to the blackboard at school in class, is already testing him. In the future, almost every step of an adult is accompanied by one or another negative impact.

What are the reactions to stress?

If there are too many such situations or the body's reaction to them is inadequate, then they can be harmful. Gradually:

the person becomes anxious;
it decreases;
he is constantly nervous;
irritated;
crying;
screaming;
swearing, etc.

As a result, he gets exhausted very quickly, gets tired, his attention is scattered, his memory decreases, muscle clamps begin to appear, entailing quite severe pain.

Human health gradually begins to suffer. Oriental medicine is generally of the opinion that most diseases occur under the influence of stress. Really, bronchial asthma, hypertension, diabetes, stomach ulcer, etc. develop precisely as a result of nervous overload.

This happens because a significant negative nervous effect does not pass without a trace for a person. He develops a severe emotional disorder, temporary under normal conditions or permanent under continued stress. Any failure in the body of an individual begins with a psychological trauma. It is she who pulls with her other dysfunctions of internal organs.

Therefore, specialists in the field of medicine and psychology are closely engaged in the study of this serious problem. It has been proven that most diseases of the internal organs occur under the influence of nervous overload. If they are repeated too much, then the development of pathology is possible.

It happens in the following way. At the moment of a stressful situation, the endocrine organs are activated. An active release of hormones begins. Their excess has a strong effect on the brain, stomach, cardiovascular system. If such a state is prolonged or not neutralized, then a failure occurs.

abrupt exit a large number various hormones leads to a significant increase heart rate, sudden jumps blood pressure, reactions parasympathetic system. If this is repeated often enough, then gradually the body's defenses are reduced. Sometimes a poor state of immunity is no longer able to protect a person from even the development of cancer.

Thus, an abundance of stress weakens a person, disrupts his metabolism, and inhibits regeneration processes in cells and tissues. They suffer from this:

leather;
muscles;
brain;
spinal cord;
bones;
hair;
nails;
thyroid;
spine, etc.

The bones become thinner, which leads to fractures, and the constantly elevated hormonal background disrupts the metabolism, genitourinary system, gastrointestinal tract and nerves.

In order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to give an outlet to stress. This is possible in the presence of a muscular or emotional load. If you do not accumulate it, but get rid of it, then it can even be useful for the body.

The essence of a hormonal attack is to activate all the systems necessary to cope with the situation. Since these days, increased effort is usually not required for this, the way out can be given through an emotional or muscular response. Subsequently, the body, faced with a similar problem, no longer reacts to it so sharply, but quickly finds a solution already embedded in memory cells.

If stress occurs only occasionally and is not destructive, then it can be beneficial to health. This happens when his action does not exceed the danger of the situation or the person knows how to cope with it. The main thing is that the problems do not become too frequent and strong. Otherwise, the body will simply stop fighting them.

At first, headaches begin to appear. Then there will be an arrhythmia, an increase in blood pressure. After a short time, these pathologies become generalized and become chronic.

It is very important not to try to cope with stress with alcohol, smoking or drugs. In addition to a strong blow to the psyche, the influence of such substances will significantly worsen the state of health. The consequences may be delayed. That is, at first a person will experience relief, and then gradually there will be serious disease that can even lead to death.

How stress affects human health

Then a state called distress manifests itself. It negatively affects health by damaging cells and tissues. It is subdivided into:

nervous;
short-term;
chronic;
psychological;
physiological.

Therefore, stress can affect a person in a variety of ways. You should not think that for a significant impairment of health, too strong a nervous shock is required. Small but repetitive nervous situations are no less dangerous. Gradually, they merge together and pose a direct threat to health.

It can manifest itself abruptly, under the influence of a specific negative situation, or accumulate day after day in a traumatic environment.

Then stress can create serious problems. This is due to the fact that its flow is subject to a certain logic. The body's response is aimed at helping a person adapt to the unfavorable situation.

Therefore, stress goes through three successive periods of time, consisting of anxiety, the stage of adaptation to specific conditions and exhaustion, if this did not happen.

Anxiety and adaptation are the normal course of this reaction, leading to positive results. But in the case when there are a lot of stressful situations and the body does not have time to adapt to them, or they are repeated so often that the adaptation loses its strength, then the stage of exhaustion begins. It is usually followed by the development of any disease.

They can manifest themselves in the psyche, nervous system, metabolism and the functioning of the internal organs of a person. If he already suffers from any disease, it may become exacerbated and even reborn into malignant tumor. Most often, an excess of stressful situations leads to:

coronary disease hearts;
heart attack;
stroke
hypertension;
angina;
cholecystitis;
ulcer duodenum;
gastric colic;
dermatitis;
urticaria;
neurodermatitis;
neurosis.

Stress brings considerable harm to the nervous system and psyche. It becomes more and more difficult for a person to cope with ordinary everyday situations, he ceases to believe in himself, it is difficult for him to force himself to do something, he does not believe in the success of the work begun. Gradually, he develops depression and even suicidal thoughts.

Fully healthy man may start to catch a cold first. Then suffer from minor ailments, and later find that he has developed a serious illness.

Stress is very bad for women. Under its constant influence, they age, the skin ceases to be fresh and elastic, and the hair begins to thin.

Thus, a person should be able to cope with such situations or, if this is not possible, avoid them. If you live in a state of constant nervous tension, this can end in very serious consequences.

Under the influence of chronic stress, the human body simply wears out, the resources of his psyche are depleted and nervous system, cease to cope with their load internal organs. The individual falls ill and is not always able to recover. As soon as one disease recedes, another immediately begins. The overall life expectancy is also reduced.

Therefore, it should be understood that stress can arise both under the influence of an external situation (conflict, attack) and internal (anxiety, fear). Moreover, the problem does not have to be real, it can only occur in the imagination of a person. For example, a student who has perfectly prepared for an exam experiences an inexplicable horror of the teacher. Or a person who has received a new position and is thoroughly familiar with the technological process is worried that he will not be able to cope with the work.

Therefore, the manifestation of such unreasonable emotions should be controlled, since the human brain, which sends signals to the endocrine organs, does not distinguish between where the real danger lies and where the imaginary one lies.

In addition, even if a person has already developed some kind of psychosomatic illness, he must learn to properly respond to stressful situations. This can be achieved by putting your emotional reactions under the control of your mind, for example,.

If a person begins to fully realize that each traumatic problem leads to a sharp deterioration in his health, then he should think about how important it is for him to work in an unfriendly team, to engage in excessive nervous work or be married to an alcoholic.

Now you know how stress affects human health. Take care of yourself! See you soon!

The negative impact of stress on the human body is considered a proven fact. However, few people understand what constant stress can lead to and how it affects health. But the consequences can be very serious for the human body. Let's see what can happen, and which organs are at risk under the influence of negative emotions.

What is stress?

Aggregate external factors, which for a long time have an impact on the psycho-emotional background of a person, sooner or later, provokes the development of a response from the body. It is she who is called stress, which inevitably leads to the destruction of normally occurring reactions in the body. The result can be a violation of the functionality of organs and systems, which causes various diseases.

You can find yourself in a stressful situation both at work and at home. The reason may be discord in the family, lack of self-realization, strong feelings, and other negative factors. Health and stress are necessarily linked, and this should be understood.

Consequences and symptoms

What causes stress? This question is asked by almost all modern people, since according to statistics, about 80% of the world's population is in this state. It so happened that the consequences of stress are also their symptoms. In total, there are four groups of disorders that occur in the body and affect the state of health.

Cognitive Consequences

The constant tension of the nervous system is dangerous for a person, and it is the cognitive symptoms that indicate the wide spread of a stressful state among people, since they are diagnosed with an enviable frequency. See for yourself, because the cognitive effects of stress include:

Memory impairment. It is important that the ongoing changes occur precisely with short-term memory - a person can remember in great detail the events that occurred 10-15 years ago, but at the same time he forgets the information received several years ago.
At prolonged stress people do not have the opportunity to concentrate on any subject or business even for a few minutes.
Under the influence of constant stress, a person develops a persistent anxiety state that accompanies him constantly. It is noteworthy that the patient is fully aware of the essence of the causes that provoke anxiety. At the same time, such a state gradually degenerates into emotional experiences that are dangerous for our psychological state and balance.
Pessimism with hints of apathy. How does stress affect the body in this case? It simply deprives a person of his goals and opportunities, so he stops seeing prospects in any business, there is a lack of self-confidence, and everything that happens around seems meaningless.
Restless state. It constantly prevents a person from looking positively at the situation. Even when positive thoughts appear, they are quickly overshadowed by negative emotions.

Consequences of an emotional nature

The impact of stress on a person is reflected in his emotional state. This is not a disease, but the longer these conditions are, the more often they can lead to the development of diseases. These symptoms of stress include:

Irritability, irascibility, attacks of aggression.
Capriciousness.
A feeling of fatigue that appears even after minor physical or mental labor.

A prolonged state of stress leads to the fact that a person cannot relax emotionally, because of which he gradually turns into a depressive state.

The consequences are also a feeling of loneliness, an inferiority complex, affecting the failure of the individual.

Behavioral Consequences

The consequences of stress can also be expressed in a person's behavior, which can also affect his health as a result. Stress and its effect on the human body is a frequent reason for studying the biochemical processes in the body. A long period of negative events leads to the following changes:

Disturbed appetite. More common with constant stress increased appetite, a person "seizes" his problems. However, with a strong deepening into problems, periods with a lack or reduced appetite can form.
Withdrawal from social life.
The consequences of stress are also expressed in sleep disturbance. At the same time, there is one peculiarity - in the morning hours a person feels sleepy and tired, and only after a few hours does he return to his usual state.
A person ceases to perform basic hygiene skills, he becomes indifferent to himself, to his work.
Addiction is also a consequence of stress. Smoking, alcohol - a person tries to apply these methods for himself in order to get rid of a negative state.
The result of a constant stressful situation are such bad habits like masturbation, the desire to scratch, bite your nails.

Health consequences

The impact of stress on human health, of course, is negative. Against the background of stress, diseases of the nerves and other organs and systems can form. How dangerous is stress in this situation, and can it really provoke serious illness? What happens in the body during stress? Let's try to consider all the physiological consequences:

A stressful situation in women can lead to a violation menstrual cycle. Often a woman is worried about pain on the eve of menstruation, which sometimes weakens.
Stress and its consequences are expressed by pains of a different nature. They radiate to almost all parts of the body, and may indicate various diseases. But more often they appear either from nervous diseases that have already developed against the background of overstrain, or are an elementary psychosomatic condition.
Pain in the epigastric region, indigestion, constipation - all these symptoms are the result of how stress affects the body.
Changes in the processes of urination are also among the consequences, while a person goes to the toilet often, but excretes a minimum of urine, the organoleptic properties of which can also be changed.
The impact of stress on human health is expressed in its propensity to respiratory diseases. Against the background of a constant drop in mood, immunity decreases. In this case, symptoms such as a persistent cough are characteristic, respiratory failure, chronic runny nose.
Nerve diseases are often formed due to the impact on the body and the body of lingering negative events. Symptoms of such pathologies are characteristic of stress.
A change in the level of glucose in the body is the same consequences of stress, since the production of insulin is disrupted. More often there is a tendency to increase the level of sugar in the blood than its decrease. This dangerous state should be avoided, as it is possible even to lose consciousness.
Although nerve diseases are more common than other pathologies that are formed due to the influence of stress, and at the same time dangerous for the body, problems with the cardiovascular system and organs associated with it are no exception. Tachycardia, arrhythmia, bradycardia - all these symptoms can affect the overall functionality of the body, although they are the result of nervous strain.

The effect of stress on the human body can manifest itself in a decrease in libido and sexual desire. You should remember a simple truth - all diseases are from nerves. This is true, and many people have already confirmed the fact that our bodies and the body suffer from frequent psycho-emotional disorders.

Now you know what stress is and its impact on a person and his health. Try to do everything in a timely manner, rest more often and get rid of everything that provokes a stressful state!