Table of Contents
Stress Indicators
Does Stress Cause Stroke? Stress has been long associated with several adverse physical effects, including cardiovascular disease.
There is an ongoing debate in the medical community about whether stress can lead to stroke, and there are several theories as to how this might happen.
One theory states that chronic high blood pressure from stress will eventually cause rupture of cerebral arteries (aneurysms).
Another theory states that the heart may stop pumping blood forcefully in response to stress, which can cause a stroke. A third theory is that chronic high cortisol levels from stress will lead to brain shrinkage and other problems with cardiovascular function.
But it is vital to know the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, depression or other problems caused by long-term chronic stress.
The effects of stress are manifold: it can cause a host of psychological problems like depression and anxiety disorders; physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches; hormonal changes that affect the body’s internal clock (which regulates many functions); increased blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeats, high blood sugar; and a weakened immune system.
Anxiety Indicators
Stress can also lead to heightened anxiety. The indicators of anxiety include:
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Concentration difficulties
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue or low energy levels
- Sleep problems such as insomnia or restless sleep.
Depression Indicators
Chronic stress can contribute to depression. The indicators of depression include:
- Sadness, pessimism about the future, crying spells
- Inability to enjoy once pleasurable activities
- Loss of appetite and weight loss.
- Depression also leads many people to sleep more than usual or less than usual, often causing insomnia
- Lack of interest in socializing with friends or family members; withdrawal from work or other activities
Mental Health Indicators
The mental health consequences of chronic stress include:
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, self-criticism
- Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities
- Problems concentrating as thoughts are recurrent and intrusive
- Poor memory of recent events.
Physical Health Indicators:
Some of the physical symptoms of chronic stress that you could be experiencing are headaches, problems with vision or hearing, fatigue (feeling tired), dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, excessive sweating at night and even constipation.
What exactly happens during stress?
Stress is an emotion people feel in response to pressure.
It’s a natural response of the body that prepares you for “fight or flight.” Stress triggers a cascade of reactions in the body, most notably with hormones and neurotransmitters.
Adrenaline and cortisol are released by your pituitary gland, causing your heart to rate rise; your blood pressure rises too, as does the flow of oxygen and glucose to your brain.
Research shows that prolonged exposure to elevated levels can cause memory impairment, chronic anxiety disorders, depression symptoms, cardiovascular disease and stroke. These are a few outcomes of too much stress!
Specific mechanisms may be emerging for why chronic stress is associated with inflammation, physical (an impaired function of the immune system) and emotional or psychological (more inflammatory responses). Beyond affecting metabolic pathways such as insulin production can lead to obesity, inflammation also heightens the risk for depression and cognitive decline.
