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Physical effects of stress on women’s health

Stress in woman

The body chemistry of women is such that it goes a long way in helping minimize stress. Women have a higher level of estrogen while men have a higher level of androgen hormones. The action of Oxytocin, an anti-stress hormone produced in women during child-birth and breast feeding and in both sexes during orgasm, is enhanced by estrogen and reduced by androgen, thereby helping women more than men. Though recent studies have shown that nurturing activities boost the production of oxytocin in women, it is seen that the negative effects of stress are more on women than in men. Women feel more stress in relationships than men and are negatively affected if not touched.

The effects of stress vary according to your level of stress. If the stress of work, home, kids, relationships all come at once, then the damage is more. If there is an increase in stress, women will see changes or irregularities in menstrual cycles and loss of hair. The physical effects of stress seen in women are listed below:

1. Lack of concentration

Stress makes it difficult to concentrate in a particular job at a particular time. If you are feeling stressed due to work pressure than this only compounds your problem.

2. Stomach ailments

Some of the common stress related stomach problems are cramps, bloating, heartburn and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

3. Change in appetite

Stress sometimes lead to comfort food like junks and, sometimes it leads to the feeling that you cannot eat anything. Depending on how you handle the situation, it will either result in weight gain or weight loss.

4. Sleep problem

Stress will result in a long night. You toss around the bed, but still you have trouble falling asleep. This only adds fuel to the fire as a good night’s sleep ease stress. Trying hard to fall asleep causes even more stress.

5. Emotional Condition

When there is stress in your life you are emotionally unstable. The emotional conditions range from irritable moods to serious mental depression. Though women are far better than men in controlling and hiding emotions like anger and aggressiveness, stress effects women twice as hard as men.

6. Sexual effect: Some women may encounter sexual dysfunction like loss of desire or dryness of the vagina due to stress. There might be irregularities in menstrual cycle. Hormonal imbalance may provide difficulty in achieving pregnancy.

7. Body pain

Due to stress, muscles tense up and result in pain in those areas. Pain is generally experienced in the neck and upper back areas. Increased tension also causes headache, muscle pain, joint pain, back ache and teeth grinding.

8. Immune response lowered

Women suffering from stress tend to be more vulnerable to cold or flare up of chronic nature. The immune system becomes weak and the body’s ability to fight off diseases is lessened.

9. Skin, breathing problems

Stress may lead to skin rashes. High level of stress sometimes results in dizziness, palpitation and shortness of breath.

10. Cardiovascular diseases

Stress results in high blood pressure, heart attack and strokes. The work pressure also increases the frequency of heart attacks in people. Immediate physical effects of stress are faster heart rate, high blood pressure and faster breathing rate.

11. Cancer

Some studies have also shown links of stress to the development of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Women who have undergone a stressful event in life like divorce or death of a spouse are more likely to develop cancer.

12. Sugar level

Stress also results in fluctuation of blood sugar levels.

Stress lowering technique

When under stress, men tend to go to solitude. They don’t talk with friends. Women on the other hand work up more under stress. Some women when under a lot of stress, call friends, meet them at home or in a restaurant and talk. Talking with someone cools the head, clears confusion and helps in reducing stress. Some of the recommended stress- lowering techniques involve:

1. A well balanced diet instead of junk foods will improve your physical health which in turn will improve your mental health.

2. Yoga is highly recommended for stress relief. Yoga helps to calm body and mind and has been very successful in curbing stress. It is increasingly becoming popular world-wide. You can also go for meditation and tai chi.

3. Find fun ways to relax. Connect with family and friends, read a book, go to the beach or cook a meal. Discover your hobbies.

Though till now most of us have been acquainted with the “flight or fight” concept but now its time for a new concept, “tend and befriend”. When you are under stress, find someone to nurture. Nurturing activities will boost the level of oxytocin which will help you in reducing or controlling stress.

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