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Stress Affects Health
How Does Stress Affect Overall Health - Leading To Health Issues In Women
Stress affects health in many ways and on many different levels.
Here are some common symptoms from a long list of stress health related conditions, some of which represent early signs of stress becoming a health issue in women:
Despite the many ways in which stress affects health, there is some good news for us women. It would appear that women have some inbuilt protective mechanisms against stress. How? This health issue in women, according to research, may be less damaging to us than to our men folk. It has been shown that certain chemicals within women make us unique in terms of how we react to and cope with stress.
Stress busting facts about this health issue in women
Both men and women can relate to those stressful incidences of road rage - honking and tonking when you feel someone has cut you up on the road. We can also relate to the arguments with our partners, challenging duels with our children, or those confrontations in the workplace (few and far between I hope).
While these stressful events can impact on emotional health and present a health issue in women as well as in men, some researchers are of the opinion that women handle this stress uniquely. The theory goes that women have a unique capacity to 'tend' and 'befriend'.
More importantly, how do we do this? And what does this mean for our stress health?
By looking after our children, we are tending, protecting and caring for them and it would seem that we're especially good at this even when we're experiencing stress. Another brownie point for us women is that during times of stress we are good at finding and using support from our female friends - befriending.
However, it's not just down to these two factors alone; our bodies make chemicals that are believed to promote these responses. One of these chemicals (according to womens health.gov), is oxytocin, pronounced (ox-see-toe-sin), which is supposed to have a calming effect during stress.
It is apparently the same chemical that is released during child birth and is also found at higher levels in breastfeeding mothers, whom, would you believe, are said to be calmer and more social than women who don’t breastfeed.
In addition, because we also have the hormone estrogen, this further serves to boosts the effects of oxytocin.
For the men in your life however, the picture is less rosy since it would appear that stress affects health in men in less positive ways. Men experience high levels of testosterone during stress, which effectively block the calming effects of oxytocin and causes hostility, withdrawal, and anger. Yikes! Cut them some slack ladies by compromising - there's good reasons for those moods! Doing so will also help you minimise your stress levels. Believe that!
This is no excuse though for 'resting on our laurels'. Stress affects health and continue to be a significant short and long-term health issue in women. Remember, stress affect your overall health, so start paying attention to 'stressors - and their potential to impact on your stress health or emotional health and well being. Forwarned is forarmed!
I hope you have found this article on how stress affects health, informative. Do check out below some further great articles covering many other aspects of how stress affects health, stress management and emotional health building techniques and strategies.
How Does Stress Affect Health
Stress As A Health Issue In Women
How Stress Affects Your Overall Health
How Stress Affect Sleep
Emotional Health Emotional Health Strategies
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