Chronic stress leads to chronic disease

the link between chronic stress and chronic illness

Chronic stress can have profound effects on, and even cause, chronic health issues

1. Immunity – Chronic stress dysregulates the immune system, increasing inflammation and impairing function. Inflammation is involved in 90% of disease, and stress can cause or exacerbate existing inflammatory conditions

2. Heart – Prolonged stress may contribute to high blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels, and hardening of the arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes

3. Metabolism – Ongoing stress disrupts glucose metabolism, potentially leading to insulin resistance and weight gain, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity-related health issues

4. Gut – Stress impairs digestion as the body prioritises the ongoing crisis. Over time this leads to a cascade of problem like impaired nutrient breakdown and absorption, and microbiome depletion and infections. It can also contribute to and exacerbate IBS, IBD, reflux and more

5. Appetite – The ongoing release of cortisol with stress can stimulate appetite and cravings, especially for high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich foods. Chronic stress-related overeating can lead to weight gain and can hinder weight loss

6. Sleep – Stress can disrupt sleep patterns leading to insomnia, poor sleep quality and sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep disturbances can exacerbate chronic health issues, impair recovery and increase appetite

7. Hormones – Prolonged stress can dysregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to imbalances in cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones and lead to to chronic health issues

managing stress

Managing stress through outdoor time, meditation, mindfulness, movement, yoga, breath work, dance, music, and making much-needed changes etc. plays a vital role in healing.

For more on chronic stress and your body, ready these posts (or search for stress in my blogs for more)

• All the good food in the world won't overcome stress and negativity

• Menopause can make you more vulnerable to stress

• Chronic stress disrupts your hormones

• Do you get sick when you go on leave?

• The link between ongoing stress, a slow thyroid (& often weight gain)

• What chronic high stress & low cortisol mean

• What chronic high stress & high cortisol mean