10 Health Problems That Are Worse When You’re Stressed

Stress is believed to be a direct cause of many health problems like heart disease and hypertension. However, evidence suggests that it can also make many underlying health conditions worse. By learning to reduce stress in your daily life, you could help to manage these health conditions more easily. Below are 10 examples of health problems that are exacerbated by stress.

Arthritis

Chronic stress can trigger inflammation around the body. If you already have sore joints, stress can make pain worse by causing flare-ups. By limiting stress in your life, you could reduce arthritic pain. 

IBS

High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) may cause the gut to go into spasm. This can make stress a common IBS trigger. Find ways to reduce stress and you could help reduce daily stomach cramps and symptoms of diarrhoea/constipation. 

Insomnia

A common reason why people find it hard to go to sleep at night is because they are stressed. The stress hormone is designed to keep us alert to deal with dangers, which in turn can delay the production of sleep hormones.  Develop a bedtime routine that helps you to destress and you could find it easier to get to sleep.

Skin conditions

Because chronic stress triggers inflammation, it can cause flare-ups of many skin conditions. Types of skin conditions that are affected by stress include eczema, acne, rosacea, psoriasis and cold sores. Help manage these health conditions by tackling sources of stress in your life.

Infertility

Stress is also linked to many fertility issues. It can lower sex drive and cause impotence in men. It can also cause low sperm count, disrupt the ovulation cycle and potentially increase the risk of a miscarriage. Many couples trying for a child find that removing stress from their life is the solution - although this is easier said than done.

Weight gain

For some people, stress can cause unwanted weight gain. This is not just because it encourages comfort eating, but also possibly because it causes more energy to be stored as fat to deal with constant fatigue that the body is being put through. Stress can also have the opposite effect in some people by causing weight loss. If you’ve noticed yourself gaining/losing unwanted weight, consider whether stress could be the cause.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition characterised by ringing in ears. It is typically caused by hearing damage from loud noise exposure or ear infections. Many people report tinnitus being worse when they are stressed - most likely due to an increase in blood pressure. By learning to limit stress, you could find that tinnitus becomes easier to tune out. 

Migraines

80% of regular migraine sufferers claimed that stress was a trigger. These intense headaches are likely due to the strain that stress puts on the brain. By reducing stress, you could find that you reduce migraines.

Nosebleeds

Regularly get random nosebleeds? While there are many possible reasons for this, one common nosebleed trigger is believed to be stress, due to changes in blood pressure which can cause blood vessels in the nose to burst. Tackle stress and you could find that you experience less nosebleeds. 

Depression

While stress is associated more with anxiety (anxiety is essentially acute stress triggered by certain situations), there is plenty of evidence to show that stress can also make depression worse. When you are stressed, you are more likely to experience negative thoughts and feelings, which can feed into the sense of hopelessness and emptiness that comes with depression. If you are prone to getting depressed, consider whether beating stress could be the solution.