Chronic Stress Effects on the Body

Chronic Stress Effects on the Body
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Chronic Stress Effects on the Body
Stress in life is inevitable. People go through various challenging situations in their daily lives. For example, some get fired, become sick, or experience financial problems. The best thing about the human body is that it can handle minor stresses. However, the body cannot withstand the effects of chronic stress. Chronic stress entails the sense of feeling overwhelmed and pressured over an extended period. In most cases, it is caused by complex situations that have no easy or direct answers. For example, if a house gets burned to the ground, it becomes difficult for the owner to accept since the cost of rebuilding is very high. In that light, that individual can have chronic stress. Chronic stress affects all body systems: reproductive, musculoskeletal, endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, immune, and gastrointestinal. In addition, it leads to numerous severe health issues, such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, stroke, depression, personality disorders, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and abnormal heart rhythms. The paper focuses on the effects of chronic stress on the body.
Hormones released due to chronic stress have adverse impacts on the human brain. In particular, the brain is the primary organ that coordinates all the activities in the body. Hormones and neurotransmitters are among the chemical messengers released by the body to enhance the performance of specific body functions. For instance, they enable humans to flee from danger through fight and flight response. Glucocorticoid receptors found in the frontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus are involved in emotional regulation and memory processing (Lupien, Juster, Raymond, & Marin, 2018). Studies depict that chronic stress is associated with a decreasing hippocampus volume. On that note, chronic stress adversely affects the volumes of the frontal cortex and amygdala, which suggests neurotoxic consequences on the brain (Lupien, Juster, Raymond, & Marin, 2018). Neuroscientists and endocrinologists make it clear that they access the brain despite hormones being released by peripheral glands. Stress hormones increase brain vulnerability and neurotoxicity. For young people, chronic stress adversely affects brain development. As a result, chronic stress has negative consequences on individuals’ mental health and brain development.
Chronic stress induces the secretion of neurotransmitters that regulate tumorigenesis. Specifically, it changes the endocrine, immune, neurochemistry, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, reproductive, respiratory, and gastrointestinal functions by releasing neurotransmitters and activating the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) (Zhang et al., 2019). Parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves usually innervate the majority of internal organs. These nerves play significant roles in tissue homeostasis via direct innervation and the secretion of neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine and catecholamines. Several studies on animals have revealed that psychosocial factors, such as chronic stress modulate tumors' growth and progression. In addition, chronic stress activates SNS fibers that lead to the secretion of catecholamine neurotransmitters that act as adrenergic receptors, which regulate cellular biological behaviors. For instance, monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is a catecholamine neurotransmitter-degrading enzyme. MAOA is found in the uterus, digestive tract, kidney, liver, or prostate. Altered MAOA plays a significant role in gastric cancer metastasis and progression (Zhang et al., 2019). Therefore, chronic stress contributes to the release of neurotransmitters, which induce tumorigenesis or cancer development and progression.
Furthermore, chronic stress causes the dysfunction and weakening of the immune system. Specifically, the immune system holds significant responsibilities by fighting disease-causing microorganisms or pathogens. In other words, it promotes people’s well-being since their bodies can eliminate bacteria or viruses that cause illnesses. Chronic stress causes metabolism disorder inflammation increases cancer susceptibility, and makes it challenging to maintain homeostasis (Zhang, Pan, Chen, Jiang, & Huang, 2020). Additionally, it impairs cellular cytotoxicity and increases tumor-educated immune suppressive cells, fostering hematogenous and lymphatic metastasis. The impairment of the immune system makes the body susceptible to diseases since it can no longer release respective hormones to fight pathogens. What is more, the dysfunction of the immune system promotes tumorigenesis, meaning that affected individuals become more vulnerable to cancer. When people with chronic stress get sick, they might take a long period to recover since their bodies are not in a position to eradicate pathogens without medications. Chronic stress leads to immune system dysregulation, causing a pro-inflammatory state in the periphery and central nervous system (CNS). Excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines induce the inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair or DNA damage by impairing DNA repair enzymes or generating reactive oxygen species (Zhang, Pan, Chen, Jiang, & Huang, 2020). As such, chronic stress contributes to the dysfunction of the immune system.
Romero-Martinez et al. (2020) depict that chronic stress accelerates cognitive aging. Researchers used neuropsychological assessments to review cross-sectional studies (Romero-Martinez, Hidalgo-Moreno, & Moya-Albiol, 2020). Their target audience was informal caregivers. Specifically, informal caregivers are individuals who care for their family members with long-term diseases. When a close relative has a chronic illness, the family cannot abandon the individual. Let’s assume that the sick person has a stroke in the scenario at hand. In that case, the individual cannot do anything for himself or herself and relies on others’ help. He or she needs to be fed, washed, clothed, and taken for a walk by pushing his or her wheelchair. The informal caregiver looking after the person with a long-term disease is vulnerable to chronic stress. Longitudinal studies showed that informal caregivers had deteriorating memory processing speed, vocabulary richness, and cognitive state (Romero-Martinez, Hidalgo-Moreno, & Moya-Albiol, 2020). Cognitive deterioration entails memory dysfunction, such as visuospatial, digit information, and learning verbally. Patients’ death did not reverse the neuropsychological effects on informal caregivers. Consequently, chronic stress causes cognitive deterioration, slow memory processing speed, and inadequate vocabulary to use in conversations.
Atherosclerosis is a disease usually characterized by the accumulation of fatty materials on arteries’ inner walls. Chronic stress is a significant contributor to atherosclerosis. Specifically, the prevalence of cardiovascular illness has been increasing annually. For instance, in 2019, about 34.4 million became disabled, and 18.6 million individuals died worldwide (Gao et al., 2022). Besides, atherosclerosis is the primary health problem that causes cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. Many people suffering from chronic stress are under pressure, and they believe that they cannot overcome the challenges they are facing easily. That leads to psychological stress associated with sadness, depression, and tension. The primary causes of chronic stress are finance, family, work, and other life events. In that light, chronic stress can lead to various illnesses, such as the rupture of aortic aneurysm and dysfunction of vascular muscle cells. In addition, it leads to the development and occurrence of atherosclerosis. Studies have revealed that chronic stress is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Specifically, chronic stress decreases hypothalamic-pituitary activity, stimulates sympathetic adrenal medulla, increases blood catecholamine, and causes the reduction of anti-inflammatory abilities (Gao et al., 2022). Moreover, it fosters vascular sensitivity and oxidative stress by increasing low-density lipoprotein and blood triglycerides.
The body composition is crucial to ensuring health. In th...