Stress from everyday life can accumulate to a significant level by the end of your day. With work, kids, your social life, and struggling to pay the bills, it seems that everything and anything can add to your stress. While some people believe the work better under stress, there are many dangers stress can cause that make this not the best idea, from signs of early aging to heart problems and other long-term health issues. Read on to learn more.

What Are the Dangers of Stress?

1. Brain damage

Ever wonder why you forget the most simple things? This could happen when you have high levels of stress hormones, which can damage parts of the brain, particularly your memory.

2. Slows down the immune system

When you are stressed a lot, your immune system will not function properly. This can lead to wounds taking longer to heal and increase your risk of infections. Stress can also trigger recurrent infections such as cold sores to reappear.

3. Reduces your energy

Chronic stress has a negative effect on your mitochondria. The mitochondria are where all your cells and organs get their energy from.

4. Makes it harder to detox

Stress can slow the process of your enzymes breaking down fats. It will also make it more difficult to detoxify prescription drugs. Besides, stress is often the leading cause for people to crave high fat or high sugar foods.

5. High blood pressure

When you are constantly stressed, you are in a constant fight or flight response. This response causes the blood pressure to rise and can also result in thickening of the artery walls, which only causes your blood pressure to rise even more.

6. Reduces sex drive

Not only will you not have the desire to have sex, but stress does a number of your sex hormones. Chronic stress can increase the sex hormone binding globulin which supplies the body with testosterone and estrogen. Your cells will receive less of this testosterone and estrogen, which can cause a cortisol seal where even fewer sex hormones are being produced.

7. Lowers bone density

One of the dangers of stress is that it can lead to lower bone density. This can lead to an increase in physical pain in the joints and muscles.

8. Can lead to poor oral health

Many people who deal with constant stress tend to grind their teeth unconsciously. This grinding can cause damage to the teeth as well as the jaw and lead to gum disease. This is more common with individuals who deal with financial stress where they will continually grind their teeth as they sleep.

9. Heart conditions

It should be no surprise that stress is bad for your heart. The excess stress hormones cause the heart rate to increase and cause the blood vessels to constrict, resulting in your heart having to work harder. This also results in an increase in blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

10. Weight gain

One of the most common ways people deal with stress is by eating. This stress eating can lead to significant weight gain that can be even more harmful to the body and your health.

11. Premature aging

Wrinkles, weakened muscles, vision trouble, and poor skin are all conditions that can be caused by stress. All these ailments can make you look much older than you actually are.

12. Trouble breathing

When you are constantly stressed, you may find it difficult to catch your breath or that is more difficult. Stress can cause strain on the lungs, which makes your breathing heavy and rapid. This sudden change in your breathing pattern causes more oxygen to be distributed through the body, which decreases the carbon dioxide that flows into the blood. This, in turn, causes the heart to work even fast, which causes even more strain on the respiratory system.

How to Relieve Stress

Then how could you relieve stress in your everyday life? There are so many! Try what have been listed here and be without stress.

• Green Tea. To help reduce the dangers of stress, sip on some green tea. Green tea contains a significant amount of L-Theanine which is a chemical that can relieve stress.
• Dark chocolate. Eating just a small square of dark chocolate can help regulate the cortisol levels in your body. Along with regulating these stress hormones, it also keeps the metabolism balanced.
• Honey. There are many health benefits of eating a spoonful of honey, one of which is to help reduce stress. Honey contains a compound that can reduce the inflammation in the brain that can be caused by stress.
• Mango. Mango contains linalool which helps reduce the stress levels in your body.
• Lemon Balm. Lemon balm can help reduce anxiety and stress in the body.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce your stress by about 20%.
• Ashwagandha. This herb is used regularly in Ayurvedic medicine. It has been shown to be effective in treating stress and anxiety.
• Valerian root. Many people take Valerian root to help with sleep, but it is also effective at reducing stress as well. The valerenic acid in Valerian root can alter the GABA receptors in the body and reduce the effect of stress and anxiety.
• Essential oils. Lavender, Frankincense, rose, orange blossom and sandalwood are all scents that can help keep the mind and body in a calm state. These can be found as scented candles, oils, scented soaps and more.
• Write. One way you can stop stressing over a situation or issues is to write it down. Many times, just getting the stress out of your head and on to paper can help you feel relieved.
• Yoga. There are many health benefits of practicing yoga and a major benefit is that it reduces the danger of stress on the body and mind. This practice allows you to refocus your energy and control your breathing and movements.
• Exercise. One of the best things you can do to reduce stress is to exercise regularly. This will not only lower your stress hormone, but can improve your sleep as well as increase your confidence.
• Say no. A lot of stress comes from obligations you have agreed to. When you take on too many tasks or responsibilities, this can increase your stress in a number of ways. Learn to say no and be selective about what you sign up to do to reduce the dangers of stress.
• Take a nap. Sometimes all you need is a little sleep to help clear your thoughts and think things through with a new perspective. When you are feeling overly stress, lay down and rest for a little.
• Meditate. Practicing meditation for just five minutes a day can greatly reduce your stress. Through meditation, you learn to refocus your thoughts and to handle stress proactively.