Effects of stress on your emotional and
physical health may be worse than you thought.
Although
female sex hormones and
brain chemistry offer some protection from stress, women are more deeply
affected by the physical and emotional effects of stress than men.
Women’s
reactions to stress are rooted in their body chemistry. Men have higher
androgen levels, while women have higher estrogen levels, says Paul J. Rosch, MD, FACP,
president of the American Institute of Stress (AIS).
. “Women
tend to react to stress differently than men.
This helps women more than men,
Rosch says. And nurturing activities boost oxytocin levels in women.
For example, Rosch explains, women
are more negatively affected when they’re not touched, and also feel more
stress than men in relationships.
According to the American Academy of
Family Physicians (AAFP), stress is an expression of the body’s natural
instinct to protect itself. While this may warn a woman of immediate danger,
like a fast-approaching car, prolonged stress
effects can negatively affect your physical and emotional
health.
“Our stress response was exquisitely
honed over millions of years as a protective mechanism,” said Rosch. “
Stress Effects: The Physical Side
The AIS reports that some surveys
show 75 to 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related
complaints. According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, the
effects of stress on women’s physical and emotional health can range from
headaches to irritable bowel syndrome. Specific stress effects include:
- Eating
disorders. Anorexia and bulimia are 10 times more common
in women than in men, says Rosch, and this may have something to do with stress
levels.
- Stomach ailments. Common
stress-related stomach troubles include cramps, bloating, heartburn, and
even irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Skin reactions. Stress can lead
to breakouts and even itchy rashes and hives in some people.
- Emotional conditions. From being
in a blue or irritable mood to more serious mental issues like depression,
your emotional health suffers when there’s stress in your life. Women are
better than men at hiding some emotions like anger
and aggressiveness because the parts of their brains
responsible for these emotions are larger than men's, but depression
strikes women twice as often as men, says Rosch, adding, “The emotional effects
of stress on women can range from postpartum depression after pregnancy to
depression after menopause.”
- Sleep problems. Trouble falling
or staying asleep is common in women affected by stress, and this is
particularly counterproductive since a good night’s sleep can help ease
stress.
- Concentration difficulty. Stress
makes it hard to focus and be effective in your responsibilities at home
or work, and that can compound your problems if your stress comes from
your job to begin with.
- Heart disease. The stress of
competing in today’s job market has increased women’s heart disease risk,
Rosch says. Stress can negatively affect the entire cardiovascular system,
and lead to high
blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.
- Lowered immune response. One of
the more complicated physical reactions to stress is your body’s lessened
ability to fight off disease, whether it’s a cold or a flare-up of a
chronic condition.
- Cancer. Some studies have
suggested a link between stress and the development of breast and ovarian
cancer. In one study, researchers found that the risk of breast
cancer was increased by 62 percent in women who had
experienced more than one highly stressful life event, like divorce or the
death of a spouse.
Stress
Effects: Stress-Lowering Techniques
Here are some more tips for managing
stress:
- Improve your diet. By eating
well-balanced meals and skipping junk food, you can improve your physical
well-being and, in turn, your emotional health.
- Make time for exercise. “We do
know that exercise is a phenomenal way of dealing with stress and
depression,” said Dr. Heim.
- Find fun ways to relax Rediscover
favorite hobbies; recent studies link a resurgence in knitting and
needlepoint to their stress-reducing effects. Other popular stress-busters
include yoga, meditation, and tai chi.
Finally, if you feel overwhelmed by
stress and its effects, talk to your doctor about ways to deal with it. You may
learn new techniques for managing stress on your own, or you may find that
therapy with a mental health professional will better help you to get it all
under control.
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