Coping with everyday events in today’s world can easily lead to being overcome by it. Many people are experiencing signs of stress and not getting the essential stress relief they need. The overall effect is that people with chronic stress are likely to have a shorter lifespan.

The Effects of Stress

One study reported that too much stress is usually combined with a lack of sleep. Both situations raise inflammation in the body and produce a spike in the white blood cell count. When you have a spike in white blood cells, it raises your risk of stroke because it increases your blood pressure – and it does not matter if you are young, healthy, and at a good weight.

Another of the effects of stress is that it weakens your immune system. It occurs because of the excess of white blood cells and inflammation, which leads to a lower response to inflammation over time. Eventually, it opens the door to you being more likely to get various illnesses – including potentially fatal ones such as cancer. 

Stress Will Shorten Your Longevity

Research has shown that uncontrolled stress can shorten your longevity. In subjects as young as 30, it was discovered that stress can shorten your lifespan by 2.8 years. Not only that, but it will make you have physical health problems along the way, including headaches, fatigue, intestinal problems, chest pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and they may include a heart attack or stroke. 

Stress can also have different effects on women. Besides the above symptoms, women are twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety. They may also – more likely than men – have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It can also affect a woman’s interest in sex, her ability to get pregnant, and her menstrual cycle. 

Inflammation has been studied considerably in recent years and much study continues to this day. The research has concluded that inflammation is a key that opens the door to many diseases – over 100 of them! This makes it very necessary to start reducing stress in every way possible. 

Symptoms of Too Much Stress

Although some stress can be good because it prepares you for emergencies or can help you push yourself a little harder to reach a deadline or goal, too much stress – or chronic stress – is harmful. Recognizing stress symptoms enables you to know when you need to make some changes in your life so that you do not have a shorter life. 

There are many symptoms of stress and they can affect your body and your mental processes. These symptoms include: 

• Various aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Often having colds of flu
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Inability to concentrate
• Problems with memory
• Frequent worrying
• Unable to make good decisions
• General unhappiness
• Moodiness
• A feeling of being overwhelmed
• Loneliness
• Nervous habits such as pacing or nail-biting
• Eating too much or too little
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• And more. 

Finding Relief from Stress

Headaches are often caused by tension in the muscles in the shoulders, head, and neck. It can be caused by work-related tension or by fear of a repeated injury. Various treatments and relaxation techniques can help provide relief and improve your daily function, reduce pain, and mood. 

More traditional and simple methods can also help reduce daily stress. Stress management methods include taking a relaxing bath, listening to music, talking to friends or relatives, taking a walk, and getting regular exercise.