Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBiology of StressDefinitionTypesCausesSymptomsComplicationsDiagnosisTreatmentNext in Stress GuideWhat Is Stress and How Can I Recognize It?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Biology of Stress
Definition
Types
Causes
Symptoms
Complications
Diagnosis
Treatment
Next in Stress Guide
Chronic stress is feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period. While occasional stress can provide you with the energy and focus needed to achieve more, ongoing stress can be detrimental to your health. This is because being stressed triggers the release of hormones calledcortisolandadrenaline (epinephrine)that alter the way your brain and body function.
Among other things, chronic stress has damaging effects on your blood vessels, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease It can also affect moods and sexual function while increasing the risk of stomach ulcers and upper respiratory infections.
This article describes the symptoms, causes, and complications of chronic stress. It also looks at how chronic stress is diagnosed and treated and what can be done to prevent it.
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The Biology of Stress
Stress is the body’s natural response to physical and psychological challenges or threats. It is part of a survival mechanism known as the “fight or flight” response in which hormones are released to provide the body with the energy and resources needed to either face the threat or flee it.
The release of these “stress hormones”—calledcortisolandadrenaline—triggers physiological changes to address the real or perceived threat.
When the flight-or-fight response is triggered:.
When the threat is over, the body will return to its natural balanced state. Stress under these circumstances is known asacute stress.
What Is Chronic Stress?
While stress is generally acute, rising and falling in response to stressors, there are times when the body will react as if the threat is ever-present. This is chronic stress.
With chronic stress, the persistent elevation of stress hormones throws the body off its natural balanced state. Over time, this can affect the body in adverse ways:
How Common Is Chronic Stress?According to the American Institute of Stress, 55% of people in the United States experience daily stress. Chronic stress is especially common in workplaces, with 94% of employees reporting work-related stress. Of these, 63% report wanting to quit their jobs because of stress.
How Common Is Chronic Stress?
According to the American Institute of Stress, 55% of people in the United States experience daily stress. Chronic stress is especially common in workplaces, with 94% of employees reporting work-related stress. Of these, 63% report wanting to quit their jobs because of stress.
Types of Chronic Stress
By definition, stress is chronic when it persists for weeks or months.The stress may be psycholological (related to the mind), physiological (related to the body), or both. Oftentimes, physiological stress (such as managing a severe illness) can lead to psychological stress.
Examples of psychological and physiological stressors associated with chronic stress include:
Being overworked
Financial hardship
Living in a noisy or chaotic environment
Relationship problems
Death of a loved one
Loneliness
Marriage or divorce
Lack of work/life balance
Anxiety or anxiety disorders
Physiological StressA major illness, like cancerA chronic illness, including chronic painPregnancyObesityMalnutritionGeneral poor health statusSubstance use, including alcohol abuseHeavy manual laborWorking in pollution, including industrial pollutantsFrequent long-distant air travel
A major illness, like cancer
A chronic illness, including chronic pain
Pregnancy
Obesity
Malnutrition
General poor health status
Substance use, including alcohol abuse
Heavy manual labor
Working in pollution, including industrial pollutants
Frequent long-distant air travel
Causes of Chronic Stress
Chronic stress does not affect all people equally. Certain social and psychological factors can predispose you to chronic stress, including:
Minority Stress and Health Disparities
Symptoms of Chronic Stress
Over the short term, chronic stress can induce many of the same symptoms of acute stress, albeit for longer periods. These include:
But what makes chronic stress distinct is that its symptoms are the result of prolonged exposure to cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this can cause damage to organ systems, both directly and indirectly, leading to a cascade of possible symptoms, such as:
Complications of Chronic Stress
Left unchecked, chronic stress can start to impact multiple organ systems, including the brain, cardiovascular system, reproductive tract, and digestive tract.
Possible complications of chronic stress include:
How Stress Causes UlcersThe relationship between stress and stomach ulcers is strong. Chronic stress increases the secretion of stomach acids, in part because the normal balance of the digestive tract has been disrupted. High stomach acids, in turn, contribute to the formation of stomach ulcers.The risk is further increased if you takenonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)like aspirin, Advil (ibuprofen), or Aleve (naproxen), perhaps to manage stress-related headaches or symptoms like muscle pain. These drugs can promote ulcers and bleeding.
How Stress Causes Ulcers
The relationship between stress and stomach ulcers is strong. Chronic stress increases the secretion of stomach acids, in part because the normal balance of the digestive tract has been disrupted. High stomach acids, in turn, contribute to the formation of stomach ulcers.The risk is further increased if you takenonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)like aspirin, Advil (ibuprofen), or Aleve (naproxen), perhaps to manage stress-related headaches or symptoms like muscle pain. These drugs can promote ulcers and bleeding.
The relationship between stress and stomach ulcers is strong. Chronic stress increases the secretion of stomach acids, in part because the normal balance of the digestive tract has been disrupted. High stomach acids, in turn, contribute to the formation of stomach ulcers.
The risk is further increased if you takenonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)like aspirin, Advil (ibuprofen), or Aleve (naproxen), perhaps to manage stress-related headaches or symptoms like muscle pain. These drugs can promote ulcers and bleeding.
Diagnosing Chronic Stress
Chronic stress is not diagnosed in the same way as high blood pressure or anxiety. It is a characteristic used to describe a primary or contributing factor of a stress-related condition, like high blood pressure.
How Is Chronic Stress Treated?
The approach tostress managementis often multifaceted, including lifestyle changes, social support efforts, mindfulness, and seeking professional help.
Lifestyle
Some lifestyle changes you can make to help combat stress include:
Social Support
Social support efforts that can help combat stress include:
Relaxation
Though it’s easier said than done, relaxing can reduce stress. Some relaxation techniques include:
Other Practical Ways to Reduce StressGetting practical about how your lifestyle influences your stress levels can help. Ways to do this include:Identify your stressorsLook for solutionsMake a plan in advance for how to manage stress when it arises
Other Practical Ways to Reduce Stress
Getting practical about how your lifestyle influences your stress levels can help. Ways to do this include:Identify your stressorsLook for solutionsMake a plan in advance for how to manage stress when it arises
Getting practical about how your lifestyle influences your stress levels can help. Ways to do this include:
Professional Help
Chronic stress can’t always be effectively managed on your own. A mental health professional can help you with strategies through:
Depending on symptoms, antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication may also be prescribed. Discuss medication options with your healthcare provider if you think they could benefit your stress management plan.
Summary
Stress can be acute, chronic, or episodic. In the short term, stress is beneficial, allowing us to react to threatening situations and build resiliency. Chronic stress, however, is not helpful and can cause health concerns such as mental health conditions, gastrointestinal discomfort, and sleep difficulties. It is also associated with several health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.
Approaches to chronic stress management include lifestyle practices, relaxation techniques, and social support. Some people may also find it helpful to see a healthcare provider or mental health professional.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Russell G, Lightman S.The human stress response.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2019;15(9):525-534. doi:10.1038/s41574-019-0228-0Centre for Studies of Human Stress.Biology of stress.American Institute of Stress.What is stress?MedlinePlus.Stress and your health.American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.American Psychological Association.Stress in America: our health at risk.Plummer MP, Blaser AR, Deane AM.Stress ulceration: prevalence, pathology and association with adverse outcomes.Crit Care.2014;18(2):213. doi:10.1186/cc13780Kalliomaki J, Jansen GB.Development of a chronic stress diagnosis.J Rehabil Med Clin Commun.2021;4:1000064. doi:10.2340/20030711-1000064Harvard Health.Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Russell G, Lightman S.The human stress response.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2019;15(9):525-534. doi:10.1038/s41574-019-0228-0Centre for Studies of Human Stress.Biology of stress.American Institute of Stress.What is stress?MedlinePlus.Stress and your health.American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.American Psychological Association.Stress in America: our health at risk.Plummer MP, Blaser AR, Deane AM.Stress ulceration: prevalence, pathology and association with adverse outcomes.Crit Care.2014;18(2):213. doi:10.1186/cc13780Kalliomaki J, Jansen GB.Development of a chronic stress diagnosis.J Rehabil Med Clin Commun.2021;4:1000064. doi:10.2340/20030711-1000064Harvard Health.Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Russell G, Lightman S.The human stress response.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2019;15(9):525-534. doi:10.1038/s41574-019-0228-0Centre for Studies of Human Stress.Biology of stress.American Institute of Stress.What is stress?MedlinePlus.Stress and your health.American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.American Psychological Association.Stress in America: our health at risk.Plummer MP, Blaser AR, Deane AM.Stress ulceration: prevalence, pathology and association with adverse outcomes.Crit Care.2014;18(2):213. doi:10.1186/cc13780Kalliomaki J, Jansen GB.Development of a chronic stress diagnosis.J Rehabil Med Clin Commun.2021;4:1000064. doi:10.2340/20030711-1000064Harvard Health.Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
Russell G, Lightman S.The human stress response.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2019;15(9):525-534. doi:10.1038/s41574-019-0228-0
Centre for Studies of Human Stress.Biology of stress.
American Institute of Stress.What is stress?
MedlinePlus.Stress and your health.
American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.
American Psychological Association.Stress in America: our health at risk.
Plummer MP, Blaser AR, Deane AM.Stress ulceration: prevalence, pathology and association with adverse outcomes.Crit Care.2014;18(2):213. doi:10.1186/cc13780
Kalliomaki J, Jansen GB.Development of a chronic stress diagnosis.J Rehabil Med Clin Commun.2021;4:1000064. doi:10.2340/20030711-1000064
Harvard Health.Six relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
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