Chronic stress puts your health at risk

Stress is part of life. Everyone has some amount of stress. Work demands, a family to care for and daily tasks are just a few sources of stress that may be part of your reality. This can lead to long-lasting stress, called chronic stress.

Even if you feel like you handle stress well, your body takes note of all the stresses you face. Your body sees stress as a threat, even if you don't. That's because your brain is hard-wired to look for threats and protect you from them.

Though your brain may think that you're under attack when you're faced with stress, you don't have to feel that way. You can learn to live well with stress.

Chronic stress can harm your body and mind by releasing stress hormones for too long. This can lead to issues such as headaches, poor sleep and heart disease. It also can weaken your immune system. And it can lead to changes in daily habits, such as getting less physical activity. This can make it harder for your body to stay healthy and recover from illness.

When you face a perceived threat, a tiny area at the brain's base, called the hypothalamus, sets off an alarm system in the body. An example of a perceived threat is a large dog barking at you during your morning walk. Through nerve and hormonal signals, this alarm system prompts the adrenal glands, found atop the kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline makes the heart beat faster, causes blood pressure to go up and gives you more energy. Cortisol, the main stress hormone, increases sugar, also called glucose, in the blood. It also helps the brain use glucose more effectively. It also increases the availability of substances in the body that repair tissues.

Cortisol also slows body functions that are not needed or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation. It changes immune system responses and makes it harder for the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes to work. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with the brain regions that control mood, motivation and fear.

The body's stress response system usually helps you handle tough situations. It turns itself on and off as needed. Once a perceived threat has passed, hormones return to typical levels. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to typical levels. Other systems go back to their regular activities.

But when stressors are always present and you always feel stressed, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. This may happen when you are dealing with chronic stress or worrying about the future.

When the stress response system is active for too long, it can give you too much exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones. That can disrupt almost all the body's processes. This puts you at higher risk of many health conditions.

Mental health effects include:

• Anxiety. Frequent worry can cause many of the same health issues as stress.
• Depression. Long-term stress can lead to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
• Issues with memory and focus. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol can make it hard to focus and remember things. This can make it harder to think.

Short-term physical health effects include:

• Digestive problems. Stomach pain and bloating are two ways stress may affect your gut. You also may get heartburn or acid reflux.
• Muscle tension and pain. Stress causes muscles to get tense. When stress is long-term, your muscles tend to always be tight. Tight muscles can cause other issues, including neck and back pain.
• Headaches. Muscle tightness can lead to headaches. A headache may be a physical sign telling you that you're stressed.
• Sleep difficulties. Racing thoughts and anxiety can affect how much and how well you sleep.

Long-term physical health effects include:

• Shortness of breath and rapid breathing. This can worsen conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Weight gain. When you're stressed, you may not eat as well or get enough regular physical activity. Stress also can change the way your body functions in ways that can lead to weight gain.
• Sexual issues. You may have a lower sexual interest. Stress also can affect the ability to conceive. Stress also can worsen symptoms of menstruation and menopause.
• Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. Over time, chronic stress can raise the heart rate and lead to issues with the blood vessels. These issues can lead to conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

Because stress can affect your health in so many ways, it's important to learn healthy ways to cope with things that bring you stress.

Your reaction to a potentially stressful event is different from everyone else's. How you react to your life stressors is affected by your genetics and your life experiences. The demands of life also play a role.

• Genes. Your genes help shape how you react to stress. This is why some people are naturally laid-back, while others tend to respond quickly to even the slightest stressor.
• Life experiences. Your life experiences also shape how you respond to stressors. For example, people who have experienced trauma may react more strongly to stress than those who have not. Examples of trauma include experiencing abuse or neglect as a child or being in a car accident. People in the military, police officers, firefighters, and people who have lived through violent crime all may react more strongly to stress based on their experiences.
• Life's demands. Day-to-day pressures also can put you in a constant state of alert. Thinking about what happened during the day or worrying about what might happen tomorrow can make your brain think it needs to be on guard all the time. This can lead to changes in your brain that keep you constantly focused on the things that are causing you stress.

Stress is not just about what is happening to you. It also depends on how you react to stressors. If you don't make changes, long-lasting stress, called chronic stress, can build up. That can lead to problems such as missing work, avoiding people or feeling upset easily. A healthy way to deal with stress is to focus on what you can control. For example, you might ask for help, do fewer tasks or let go of trying to be perfect when you can. Taking small steps such as these can help you feel less overwhelmed.

Your thoughts also affect how you feel and act. If you always think the worst is going to happen, your stress grows. Instead, try to think in a more balanced way. Remind yourself of what is realistic. Accept what you can't change. And if your mind starts to spiral, shift your focus to something else. Over time, thinking this way and making steady choices can help lower your stress and improve how you handle it.

Stressful events are facts of life. And you may not be able to change your current situation. But these steps can help you manage the impact that stressful events have on you.

In addition to approaching stress in a healthy way, there are also plenty of simple, everyday ways you can cope with stress.

Try these stress management tips:

• Start with the basics. Eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise. Get plenty of sleep too.
• Do relaxation exercises such as yoga, deep breathing, massage or meditation.
• Keep a journal. Write about your thoughts or what you're grateful for in your life. Your journal also may be a place where you write down what's causing your stress and ways you might manage it.
• Turn off screens before sleep. Give your eyes and mind a break from computers and other devices for at least an hour before you go to bed. A break from social media is especially important.
• Take time for hobbies, such as reading or listening to music. Or watch your favorite show or movie.
• Foster healthy friendships, and talk with friends and family who care about and support you.
• Have a sense of humor. Find ways to include humor and laughter in your life, such as watching funny movies or looking at joke websites.
• Volunteer in your community.
• Organize and focus on what you need to get done at home and work and remove tasks that aren't needed.
• Find new ways to look at challenges. You can't always get rid of stress, but by thinking about a stressful situation differently, you can change how it affects you.
• Seek professional counseling. A counselor can help you learn specific coping skills to manage stress.

Try not to rely on ways of coping that can harm your health, such as using alcohol, tobacco or drugs, or overeating to cope. If you're worried that your use of these products has gone up or changed due to stress, talk to your healthcare professional.

If you’ve taken steps to manage your stress but you keep having symptoms, see your healthcare professional. Your healthcare professional may want to check for other potential causes. You also could see a counselor or therapist. This person can help you find sources of stress and learn new coping skills. And if you are concerned about harming yourself, call 911 or a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Or use the Lifeline Chat.

Also, get emergency help right away if you have chest pain, especially if you also have shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea, or jaw, back, shoulder or arm pain. These may be warning signs of a heart attack and not simply stress symptoms.

Taking time to lower your stress can help you feel better today and stay healthier over time. Research shows that feeling happier and more relaxed can benefit your health in many ways.

Start by trying to add small moments of joy to your day. These are things that make you smile, make you feel calm or give you energy. These simple habits can make a big difference for your mind and body.