Stress And The 10 Truths Behind The Damage It Causes

Aging

Chronic stress affects processes within the body that usually help keep skin looking young and healthy, which can have an impact on a person’s outward appearance. Stress can also affect brain aging by killing off brain cells and allowing toxins to cross the blood-brain barrier. One study found that high cortisol levels experience a reduction in hippocampus size by fourteen percent. Another study linked the progression of Alzheimer’s disease to hippocampus size. Stress also inhibits the ability to regenerate new blood cells, which may age a person psychologically as well as physically.

Impairs Immune System

While the immune system is preoccupied dealing with the buildup of inflammation caused by stress, it leaves the door wide open for infection and other illnesses to take over. Stress makes it harder for the body to recover from disease. According to the American Psychological Association, stress impairs the ability to recover from a heart attack. Research shows that stress affects the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from foreign invaders that enter the body such as positions, drugs, toxins, and viruses. A weakened brain-barrier leaves the brain vulnerable to infection and impairment.