Many people experience stress daily. It can be linked to work, relationships, or at times, have no specific cause. Stress impacts every aspect of your body, and it’s important to recognize the effects. Taking steps to seek medical care, such as immunology care, if needed, will ensure underlying causes are treated, and you improve your mental well-being.

A Guide to Stress In the Body

Short-Term Effects of Stress

When you become stressed for any reason, your body releases hormones to elevate your heart rate and prime your muscles to respond to a fight-or-flight scenario. Your central nervous system first tells your adrenal gland to release cortisol—the stress hormone. You’ll begin breathing faster and blood vessels will constrict so more oxygen is sent to the muscles. Your liver will release glucose to give you energy, and you may experience an upset stomach from the hormones. Muscles throughout your body will tense up to prevent energy and sometimes generate back or neck pain. Initially, your immune system will also receive a boost.

Long-Term Effects of Stress

Chronic stress can be mentally exhausting and also take a toll on your body and mind. You may develop depression or an anxiety disorder. Stress-related eating can lead to obesity and related issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It may also lead to stroke. Some people can develop gastrointestinal issues like ulcerative colitis. Stress can also affect sexual drive and result in impotence and premature ejaculation.

Cutting Down On Stress

It’s important to understand why you’re stressed. It may be genetic, in which case you need an immunology exam or another type of testing. It can also be tied to life experiences. You can reduce hormonal responses by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and getting regular exercise. Meditating and deep-breathing exercises can help calm you down, and organizing a work-life balance will help you manage triggers.

If you’re facing cancer and immunology complications, the team at Integrative Medicine of New York, PLLC can help. Serving Long Island, New York City, and the Tri-State area, they create solutions for their patients’ problems, such as immunology treatments, regenerative medicine care, and intravenous therapy. They take a compassionate approach to medicine, and you can learn about all their treatments by visiting their website. Call (516) 759-4200 to schedule a consultation.