Why Being Stressed Is Bad For You

There is a big problem in the world, and that problem is stress. It’s become so prevalent that many people don’t even consider it a problem – it’s just part of life. The truth is that it isn’t part of life (or rather, it shouldn’t be and doesn’t have to be), and therefore if you are feeling stressed, it’s important to do something about it.

It’s not always easy to be motivated to make life changes, even if the end result would be more positive, which is why it can be worthwhile to understand just why stress is bad for you. When you know that, you might want to do what you can to reduce it. With that in mind, read on to find out more.

Stress Makes You Look Older

Most people want to stay looking as youthful as possible for as long as possible, even if that’s not something they would admit out loud to anyone. However, since this is the case (even secretly), doing anything that would actually make you look older doesn’t make any sense – and yet that’s exactly what stress does.

Stress makes the body release cortisol, the stress hormone, and when there is a lot of it, cortisol breaks down collagen, which is the substance that keeps your skin elastic and firm. This results in lines and wrinkles, and you’ll look older. On top of this, stress can even make your eyesight worse. This can be fixed with premium cataract surgery and other treatments, but if you don’t deal with the underlying cause of stress, you’ll still have issues in the end.

Stress Causes Heart Problems

When you are under stress for a long time, the issue can lead to problems with your heart, putting you at risk of heart disease and a heart attack. When you’re stressed, the cortisol mentioned above, as well as other hormones like adrenalin, will be pumped through the body, raising your blood pressure. This is what causes problems with your heart, as when you have high blood pressure, your heart has to work harder, and when this is chronic, your heart can wear out and become damaged.

As well as this, when you’re stressed, you might take up unhealthy habits to relax you, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or emotional eating. All of these will lead to heart problems as well.

Stress Is Bad For Oral Health

Stress is bad for you for all kinds of reasons, but one that’s not always the most obvious is that it can be damaging to your oral health. Many people grind their teeth when they’re stressed, and this wears down the tooth enamel, which causes painful and sensitive teeth and potentially jaw pain and headaches as well.

Stress can also be a problem when it comes to your immune system, so your body finds it hard to fight off any illness and disease, including gum disease. You might even lose teeth because of this, so de-stressing where you can is crucial.