Symptoms and signs of chronic stress

(NaturalNews) The old saying, "Whatever doesn't kill us, makes us stronger," may not hold true when it comes to chronic stress. Stomach ulcers were the first disease linked to chronic stress. It took many more years of research to learn that many diseases and health problems are linked to chronic stress, including the following:

• Acne
• Addictions
• Anxiety
• Alzheimer's
• Bone Loss
• Cancer (due to reduced immune system)
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Digestive problems
• Heart disease (stress actually creates plague in the arteries)
• Infertility
• Inflammation
• Impaired immunity
• Insulin resistance
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
• Metabolic syndrome
• Memory and concentration impairment
• Osteoporosis
• Reduced libido
• Senile dementia
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Stomach Ulcers
• Strokes
• Weight gain (stress encourages fat to be retained in the body, especially around the abdomen)

Scientific understanding of the stress response has improved a great deal in recent years, but there is still a lot that science does not yet fully understand. Physiological changes brought on by stress are very complex.

If you feel that your life is stressful and there's no avoiding stress, you're right. Stress is unavoidable. Life has a way of giving us ups and downs, and worse still, life has a way of kicking us when we're down. We've all been there - when things couldn't possibly get worse... and then they do.

We all have choices to make. How are you going to take care of your body? Will you eat the healthiest diet possible? Will you exercise? Will you get enough sleep? How are you going to react to life's inevitable setbacks?

These choices are actually life and death choices. This may sound melodramatic, but it is true. Poor nutrition, lack of sleep, little to no exercise and giving in to negative emotions will send us to an early grave. We have a choice in the way we live life, and our choices become our reality.

If you cannot change your lifestyle to reduce stress, you can help your body to deal with it by taking care of your adrenals, your thyroid, and your gut.