Due to the fast pace of life, many people suffer from chronic stress, and some even stop paying attention to this condition. At the same time, not everyone knows how much stress affects the body.
In an interview with Express, the nutritionist Hannah Bray identified the main effects of chronic stress on health, and mainly how these can be reflected on the face.
Chronic stress and skin problems
Stress can be both the cause of various skin diseases, and a factor that aggravates their course. Stress hormones like cortisol are thought to trigger the release of inflammatory compounds by skin cells, contributing to conditions like psoriasis, atopic eczema, alopecia, rosacea, and acne.
It can also cause hives and other types of skin rashes and trigger an outbreak of fever blisters.
Chronic stress can disrupt the epidermal barrier, the top layer of skin that retains moisture and protects us from harmful microbes, and prolong its repair, according to clinical studies in healthy people.
An intact epidermal barrier is essential for healthy skin; when interrupted, it can lead to skin irritation as well as chronic skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, or wounds. Psychosocial stress has been directly linked to the exacerbation of these conditions in small observational studies.
Acne breakouts have also been linked to stress, although understanding of this relationship is still evolving.
immunity problems
Cortisol suppresses immune cells, which lowers the body’s ability to fight germs and viruses, making a person more susceptible to infection.
According to specialists, stress is a serious risk factor for the development of autoimmune diseasesso the body begins to attack its own tissues.
digestive upset
The brain and the digestive system are related. Hannah Bray pointed out that chronic stress is one of the main triggers of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Stress can also upset the balance of bacteria in the gut, increasing the risk of pathogen overgrowth.
Altered regulation of blood sugar
Stress contributes to the dysregulation of blood sugar levels. One of the side effects of the release of cortisol and other stress hormones is a increased blood glucose levels.
Regularly elevated blood glucose levels can have negative consequences for our health, for example increasing the risk of developing insulin resistance.
Insomnia
Although stress makes people feel tired during the day, many find it difficult to fall asleep or sleep through the night. These are stress hormones, which can cause hyperarousal and upset the balance between sleep and wakefulness.
Anxiety and cognitive impairment
High levels of stress also cause anxiety, anxiety and, in some cases, increase the risk of depression, he said. In addition, stress can affect memory and concentration, Bray concluded.