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Irrespective of stress being a short-term frustration or arising from a major catastrophic event in life like death, divorce, etc., it can influence the body to a surprising level. Let’s see some of the effects stress can have on the body.

Our nervous system is responsible for the ‘flight-or-fight’ response which gets triggered naturally in response to stress. This increases the level of stress hormones like cortisol. The direct impact of it is seen with the rise of blood sugar levels, blood pressure, rapid breathing, etc. If sustained for a long time, it can cause significant damage to the body.

Overproduction of cortisol hormone increases your sugar and fat cravings and leads you to have a larger portion of food. This phenomenon is called ‘emotional eating’. This also affects the metabolism and digestion of food. Consequently, one finds a severe weight gain and thus opens the door to various other diseases.

Though no clear-cut evidence has yet been established, studies indicate that people who live under stress are more prone to heart attacks than individuals who take steps to mitigate stress from their life.

Stress is also known to cause hyperarousal, a medical state when a stressed person does not feel sleepy. If the symptoms persist for a long time, this insomnia leads to severe sleep disorders.