Stop worrying yourself sick

Your gut
Surely you have heard the phrases choked under stress and gut-wrenching decisions? That's how closely related stress is to our digestion. In fact it can affect every part of the digestive system. "Digestion is controlled by the enteric nervous system, a system composed of hundreds of millions of nerves that communicate with the central nervous system. When stress activates the "flight or fight" response, the central nervous system shuts down blood flow, so the digestion kind of shuts down," explains Dr. Sandeep Bhargava, Director, Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Delhi's Saket City Hospital. He further adds that chronic stress can even cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal system, and make us more susceptible to infection, lead to frequent attacks of indigestion, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. "And while it may not lead to stomach ulcers, celiac disease, or inflammatory bowel disease, it can definitely make an existing condition worse," he warns.

Your spine
"In the short term, the tension created by emotional stress can give you a backache, and in the long term, it can set you up for a serious back injury," points out Dr Suraj Bafna, Spine Specialist, Qi Spine Clinic, Mumbai. " Blood flows through the muscles of our neck and back with very little resistance. However, when we are emotionally stressed, certain muscles may tense up and squeeze these blood vessels leading to a possible constriction of the blood flow due to these tense muscles," he adds. In fact, according to him, chronic pain is often a way of our body to tell us when our neck and back are not getting their proper blood supply. "So don't ignore them," he advises.

Your heart
Although the exact mechanism is not clear, increasing evidence is suggesting a relationship between the risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic stress. In a recent study published last year in May in the journal Biological Psychiatry, the brain activity of more than 150 healthy adults was monitored while they tried to regulate their emotional reactions to unpleasant pictures. The participants were also checked for narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and for blood levels of a marker (an indicator) of inflammation called interleukin-6. A high level of inflammatory markers in the blood is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and premature death from heart disease. The participants who had greater brain activity when trying to control their negative emotions also had higher levels of interleukin-6 and more signs of atherosclerosis.

According to Dr Tilak Suvarna, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Head Department of Cardiology at Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai, factors like job strain, relationship problems, social isolation and personality traits expose our body to unhealthy, persistently-elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which he says can be detrimental to the heart. "Acute stress can also cause sudden increase in the blood pressure or plaque rupture or formation of blood clots, leading to a heart attack," he adds.

Then there is an indirect connect too: Studies have shown that long term stress causes higher incidence of unhealthy life style. "More people with long term work-related stress end up having reduced exercise, unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol leading to obesity. This in turn increases chances of having hypertension, diabetes mellitus and high cholesterol," adds Dr Suvarna.

Your kidneys
"Research has shown that stress can lead to a decrease in renal blood supply, high blood pressure and increase in renin activity in blood - all these are damaging to the kidney," points out Dr Ravi Bansal, Senior Consultant Nephrologist and Kidney Transplant Physician, PSRI Hospital, Delhi. "People under stress are also prone to pop over the counter painkillers, which further contribute to kidney disease," he adds.

Your looks
The effects go beyond just dark under eye circles. The skin and hair get badly affected too. "Chronic stress can impair the protective outermost layer of skin leading to rashes and itchy skin. Basically, during times of high stress, the skin cracks up and becomes more permeable, allowing harmful bacteria to infiltrate the deeper layers of skin, leading to conditions like eczema and psoriasis and severe acne," explains Dr Deepali Bhardwaj, dermatologist and director, Skin and Hair Clinic, Delhi. "Stress also saddles us with perpetually dry skin (as lipids in the skin evaporate under stress) and too many frown lines (thanks to perpetual frowning). Hair loss too is a common response to stress, as often people don't particularly take care of their diets when under stress (it's called acute telogen effluvium)," she adds.

Handle it right!
The good news? You can break the destructive cycle. Stress does not have to win, so try to shake it off and seek help if need be. "One of the best ways to manage stress and keep stress related diseases away is moderate exercise, which relieves tension and stimulates the release of brain chemicals called endorphins that relieve stress and improve your mood. Other stress reducers include Talk Therapy (talking to friends or loved ones about your stress or working with a therapist) and Relaxation Therapy. Asking for help before conditions become severe is my advice," states Dr Bhargava.