Advertisement
We all experience some stress from time to time, but chronic stress can contribute to health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Stress is, unfortunately, an unavoidable fact of life. But can stress make you sick?
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
The short answer is yes. Long-term stress — defined as stress that happens on a consistent basis — can contribute to many health issues, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic gastrointestinal problems, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety.
But not all stress is bad. Clinical psychologist Adam Borland, PsyD, says a certain amount of stress can help to keep you on your toes.
“Experiencing a manageable amount of anxiety and worry helps prepare us to face the challenges of daily living,” Dr. Borland says.
What’s more, mulling over a stressful situation can also help you to find a solution to a problem. For example, you may spend time worrying about a conflict with your spouse only to find that this time spent “in your head” helps you see the issue from another perspective.
But if you notice that stress is a constant companion, it can impact your health. Dr. Borland explains what chronic stress does to our bodies and how to manage everyday stress.
We all stress, but worry becomes a problem when it starts affecting your ability to do the things you want or need to do. Obviously, when worry starts keeping you up at night or leads you to self-soothe with food or alcohol, it can have a negative impact on your health.
Advertisement
“During times of physical or emotional stress, the body’s sympathetic nervous system activates,” Dr. Borland explains.
This results in what’s called the fight-or-flight response: Your body prepares to either defend itself physically from a threat or run away — and your body releases cortisol.
Cortisol is a hormone that signals your body to release glucose, a type of sugar that provides energy to your muscles. Your muscles need glucose when they’re about to fight off or run from a predator.
Even though most of our modern stressors don’t require such a physical response — you’re unlikely to punch your boss or flee the building when you’re facing your performance review — your body still responds this way. Cortisol also stifles insulin production and narrows arteries.
Once a threat passes, cortisol levels typically return to normal, and your body recovers from its effects. But when stress is chronic, cortisol levels stay elevated.
There’s a connection between your stress and health: Long-term worry can create problems inside your body that you may not even know about.
So, can stress make you feel sick?
Stress can contribute to emotional and behavioral symptoms, including:
You may also notice physiological reactions, such as:
“It’s so important that we not ignore the negative physical and emotional effects that stress has on our bodies,” says Dr. Borland. “Prioritizing self-care — sleep, a healthy diet, exercise and physical activity, social opportunities, regular checkups with doctors — are all crucial in order to combat the stress that we each experience on a daily basis.”
The good news is that you can avoid health issues associated with chronic worry by learning how to better manage your stress.
Dr. Borland offers the following steps to help you cope with stress:
Advertisement
Worry is a part of life for everyone. But by taking steps to proactively manage your stress, you can help make sure that your daily worries don’t end up hurting your health.
“While a certain amount of short-term emotional and physical stress is natural, it’s important to monitor the potential consequences of sustained daily stress,” emphasizes Dr. Borland. “Finding a healthy balance between self-care and attending to the stressful demands of daily living is a goal we all must prioritize.”
Advertisement
Learn more about our editorial process.
Advertisement
Asking for help may make you feel vulnerable — but it’s actually a sign of courage
When you get bogged down with mental tasks, you can experience mood changes, sleeplessness and more
First things first: It doesn’t mean anybody did anything wrong
If you’re torn between contradictory beliefs, questioning your decisions or feeling ashamed about your choices, you may be experiencing cognitive dissonance
Focusing on what you can see, feel, touch and hear can help you feel more present in the moment
Your BFF is wonderful, but they aren’t a professional therapist
A COVID-19 infection can bring on depression or anxiety months after physical symptoms go away
Ground yourself in evidence, name your thoughts out loud and meet yourself in the middle to help defuse worst-case scenarios
Not all ear infections need antibiotics — cold and warm compresses and changing up your sleep position can help
A glass of lemon water in the morning can help with digestion and boost vitamin C levels, and may even help get you into a better routine