{"id":9892,"date":"2024-01-23T21:11:40","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T14:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9892"},"modified":"2024-01-23T21:11:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T14:11:40","slug":"what-is-chronic-stress-and-why-is-it-unhealthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9892","title":{"rendered":"What Is Chronic Stress and Why Is It Unhealthy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">A<\/span> close call while driving, an upcoming presentation, childcare falling through just as you\u2019re heading out the door\u2014any number of everyday things can stress you out. Yep, stress is a normal\u2014and unavoidable\u2014part of life.<\/p>\n<p>But chronic stress is different. It sticks around for weeks, months, or even years, not a brief moment in time, and it&#8217;s unrelenting, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yalemedicine.org\/conditions\/stress-disorder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.yalemedicine.org\/conditions\/stress-disorder\">Yale Medicine<\/a>.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-stress-affects-body\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-stress-affects-body\/\">Symptoms of ongoing stress<\/a> are pervasive, too, affecting both your body and mind, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/11874-stress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/11874-stress\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever triggers stress, your body responds the same way: Your brain sends out a signal to release energy-boosting adrenaline, along with cortisol, the stress hormone, per the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/stress-management\/in-depth\/stress\/art-20046037\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/stress-management\/in-depth\/stress\/art-20046037\">Mayo Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\">\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"experts-in-article noskim py-[24px] px-[40px]\">\n<p>Experts In This Article<\/p>\n<ul class=\"!ml-[18px]\">\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dralexamieses.com\/about\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.dralexamieses.com\/about\">Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD, MPH<\/a>, a board-certified family medicine physician and District Medical Director at One Medical in North Carolina <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utmb.edu\/fammed\/about-us\/biographies\/samuel-mathis\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.utmb.edu\/fammed\/about-us\/biographies\/samuel-mathis\/\">Samuel Mathis, MD<\/a>, a board-certified family medicine doctor and assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/divesh-goel-ab8a3b15b\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/divesh-goel-ab8a3b15b\/\">Divesh Goel, MD<\/a>, board-certified family medicine doctor <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<hr\/><\/div>\n<p>In a single stressful moment, these hormones surge, then return to their normal levels. Think of your body\u2019s response to a jump scare in a horror movie: There\u2019s a quick jolt of fear, and maybe your heart rate speeds up, and then your body settles down.<\/p>\n<p>But with chronic stress, there\u2019s no natural end point: You\u2019re not dealing with temporary stressors like a crowded train or the pop of an unexpected firework, but something that doesn&#8217;t let up, like a loved one&#8217;s chronic health condition or a relationship turned sour. This leads to an &#8220;always-on&#8221; state for your body\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-responses\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-responses\/\">stress-response system<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline text-h5 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-chronic-stress\/\" current-title=\"We\u2019ve All Been Stressed\u2014but How Do You Know if You\u2019re Dealing With Chronic Stress?\" current-image=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/RealTalkRx_Editorial_How-do-I-know-if-Im-chronically-stressed_-425x285_418x278_true_70.webp\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-07-23\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-chronic-stress\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-chronic-stress\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img decoding=\"async\" :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-chronic-stress\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\" class=\" js-inline-lazy-load\" src=\"\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\">Real Talk Rx series<\/a>, we asked readers to send us their biggest health questions and then posed the most common to a panel of doctors. Lots of you were worried about chronic stress, including how to recognize it and the best ways to get a handle on it. Here&#8217;s what the experts had to say.<\/p>\n<h2>How can you tell if you\u2019re chronically stressed?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1150725 size-full alignleft js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"Samuel Mathis, MD, headshot banner\" width=\"1170\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Expert-Banner_Samuel-Mathis-MD__falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Stress is one of those interesting topics because it\u2019s hard to tell if someone has acute versus chronic stress, but you can see the impact of it in someone\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>When we are hit with stress, it typically causes that fight-or-flight response. Chronic stress presents as that, but to a lesser degree.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the signs of chronic stress that people sometimes face are appetite changes, weight gain, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/tips-for-sleep-difficulties\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/tips-for-sleep-difficulties\/\">difficulty sleeping<\/a>, as well as muscle tension, difficulty with memory and concentration, and headaches.<\/p>\n<p>Chronic stress has been shown to lead to heart disease, strokes, and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to find\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/physical-ways-relieve-stress\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/physical-ways-relieve-stress\/\">ways to deal with stress<\/a>\u00a0and also recognize when we\u2019re not appropriately managing our stress, because it can cause a whole slew of problems.<\/p>\n<p>Stress in and of itself is not a bad thing. It\u2019s when we don\u2019t effectively manage our stress, or when we are left with chronic stress, that it then can lead to worsening health issues.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We think of stress as a mental thing. But in fact, when people are chronically stressed, it really tends to manifest in a physical way.&#8221; \u2014Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1150731 size-full js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD, headshot banner\" width=\"1170\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Expert-Banner_Alexa-Mieses-Malchuk-MD_falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We think of stress as a mental thing. But in fact, when people are chronically stressed, it really tends to manifest in a physical way. So people might be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/non-sleep-causes-of-tiredness\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/non-sleep-causes-of-tiredness\/\">tired all the time<\/a>\u00a0despite how much sleep they\u2019re getting. Or the opposite may be true: They may have a hard time sleeping.<\/p>\n<p>You can also have mysterious aches and pains, and really just feel worn out. If someone is having physical symptoms and they can\u2019t really pinpoint them, chronic stress could be the cause.<\/p>\n<p>The harder question is: Can we quantify the impact of stress? We haven\u2019t been able to do so yet in the medical community, but I certainly think chronic stress is a cause of premature death in people.<\/p>\n<p>Classically, we know that before someone has a heart attack, sometimes they are really, really stressed out. We know stress can raise blood pressure. Stress can change the way your body metabolizes cholesterol.<\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t emphasize enough that stress really reaches every function of your body.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1150733 size-full js-inline-lazy-load\" alt=\"Divesh Goel, MD, headshot banner\" width=\"1170\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Expert-Banner_Divesh-Goel-MD__falsexfalse_true_70.webp\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are two things to look at with stress. There&#8217;s a psychological and a physiological component.<\/p>\n<p>A good way to look at it is:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/signs-of-burnout\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/signs-of-burnout\/\">Am I burnt out<\/a>? To determine that, you can ask: Is my sleeping disturbed? Do I have\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/why-does-my-brain-feel-foggy\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/why-does-my-brain-feel-foggy\/\">brain fog<\/a>? Am I less interested in the things I was interested in before?<\/p>\n<p>A lot of the symptoms of chronic stress mimic depression. Is my irritability higher? Am I more inclined to snap at my friends and family when I wasn&#8217;t before? Am I seeking solitude more often? Is my performance in work and my personal hobbies or endeavors below my average? Do I feel more tired?<\/p>\n<p>Another thing is chronic pain, which can be a manifestation of chronic stress to a more severe degree. It can be joint pain, fatigue, being prone to injury and then just general pain everywhere.<\/p>\n<p>You could have other physiological manifestations like irritable bowels, meaning you&#8217;re\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/natural-remedies-for-constipation\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/natural-remedies-for-constipation\/\">constipated<\/a>\u00a0more, or you&#8217;re having more loose stools. Dry skin,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-does-stress-hair-loss-look-like\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-does-stress-hair-loss-look-like\/\">hair falling out or thinning<\/a>\u2014that can be a normal sign of aging, but it can also be due to the fact that you&#8217;re chronically stressed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>The takeaway<\/h2>\n<p>Just about every system and function in your body can be affected by chronic stress, including your mood and emotions, appetite, sleep, sex drive, weight, and even your bowel movements. And in the long run, your overall health can suffer.<\/p>\n<p>It can be tricky to &#8220;diagnose&#8221; chronic stress, but the reality is that we live in a stressful world. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s so important to find healthy habits that help you manage stress\u2014like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-boundaries\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-boundaries\/\">setting boundaries<\/a> and practicing other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-reducing-activities\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/stress-reducing-activities\/\">stress-reducing activities<\/a>\u2014and to stick with them.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u200cConfused about your health? Get answers to more common questions in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/real-talk-rx\/\">Real Talk Rx series<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A close call while driving, an upcoming presentation, childcare falling through just as you\u2019re heading out the door\u2014any number of everyday things can stress you out. Yep, stress is a normal\u2014and unavoidable\u2014part of life. But chronic stress is different. It sticks around for weeks, months, or even years, not a brief moment in time, and &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}