Chronic stress syndrome
Chronic stress syndrome – the repeated occurrence of the stress response, which involves cognitive, affective and biological reactions induced by a stressor, over an extended period of time, i.e. several hours per day during weeks to months. In other words, it is a long-lasting stress.
Common symptoms:
- Chronic pain.
- Loss of energy, fatigue.
- Sleep disorders.
- Suppressed immune function.
- Gastrointestinal issues, changes in appetite.
- Headache, stomachache.
- Depression.
- Anxiety, frequently agitated or irritated, feeling overwhelmed.
- Unable to relax.
- Brain fog, forgetfulness, disorganized thinking.
- Avoiding people or places.
- Low self-esteem.
- Feeling helpless.
- Concentration problems.
- Heart disease.
- Irritable bowel syndrome.
- Obesity.
- High blood pressure.
- Digestive problems.
- Insomnia.
Causes:
- Work-related stress.
- Relationship issues.
- Divorce or breakup.
- Loss of a loved one.
- Major life changes (such as moving, having a baby, or starting a new job / losing a job).
- Financial hardships.
- Chronic health conditions or injuries.
- Being a caregiver.
Consequences:
- Chronic stress increases the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exposure to adverse socioeconomic conditions has been shown to be associated with chronic stress. Chronic stress is therefore likely to be one of the explanatory factors for the higher occurrence of adverse health outcomes among people with low socioeconomic status, who are more frequently exposed to such conditions, independent of health-related behaviour.
- Chronic stress raises catecholamine and suppressor T-cells levels, which suppress the immune system. This suppression, in turn, raises the risk of viral infection. Stress also leads to the release of histamine, which can trigger severe broncho-constriction in asthmatics. Stress also alters the acid concentration in the stomach, which can lead to peptic ulcers, stress ulcers or ulcerative colitis.
- Chronic stress can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries (atherosclerosis), especially if combined with a high-fat diet and sedentary living leading to heart diseases and stroke. The correlation between stressful life events and psychiatric illness is stronger than the correlation with medical or physical illness. The relationship of stress with psychiatric illness is strongest in neuroses, which is followed by depression and schizophrenia.
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Balachandar, J.С., Jayachandran, M., & Ahamed, I. (2023). Chronic stress – the root cause for all the diseases. Endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition. scivisionpub. Retrieved from: https://shorturl.at/sC6uh
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