The alarming effects of chronic stress: 75-90% of the doctor visits due to stress-related complaints and death as possible consequences

The alarming effects of chronic stress: 75-90% of the doctor visits due to stress-related complaints and death as possible consequences

The effects of chronic stress on the brain

Current statistics have made an alarm within the global health community. It is worrying that 75-90% of all visits to the doctor are due to stress-related symptoms. In addition, chronic stress was associated with the six leading causes of death: heart diseases, cancer, lung diseases, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. Never before has it been so important to understand the profound effects of stress on our brain, a connection that is rooted in our evolutionary reaction to threats. However, if this natural reaction becomes chronic, the brain suffers and permanent damage occurs.

The brain, the primary control center of our body, is susceptible to the negative effects of stress. Although stress is part of life and serves as a "fighting or escape reaction" for perceived threats, chronic stress can have devastating consequences. The activation of our brain in the "anxiety center", the amygdala, leads to a cascade of events, from the production of the stress hormone cortisol to increased glucose concentration and heart rate. While these are natural reactions to current threats, chronic activations of these paths can have serious consequences.

If the amygdala is under the influence of chronic stress, it remains active. This continuous commitment leads to persistently increased cortisol levels, which in turn leads to digestive problems, sleep disorders and a weakened immune system. In addition, persistent stress reduces the energy that is available to other regions of the brain and affects its proper function.

One of the most striking effects of chronic stress on the brain is the impairment of memory. Under stress, even banal challenges such as finding relocated keys can become insurmountable tasks. Dr. Kerry Ressler, senior research assistant at the McLean Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, notes: "The brain redirects its resources because it is in survival mode and not in memory mode." In addition, chronic stress can cause changes in the brain structure. The balance between gray and white substance, decisive components of our brain, which are responsible for decision -making, problem solving and information communication, can be disturbed.

worrily stress has the potential to kill brain cells, especially in the hippocampus, a region that is involved in memory formation. Despite the ability of our brain to produce new neurons, studies show that these newly formed cells are more susceptible to death under stressful conditions. In addition, areas of the brain associated with emotions, metabolism and memory can shrink due to chronic stress.

But not everything is dark. Moderate stress can strengthen the cognitive function, consolidate neuronal connections and improve memory and the attention span. These effects explain why some people are successful under pressure.

A groundbreaking study by the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences on the DGIST has presented amazing evidence: Chronic stress triggers an autophagic cell earth reaction in the neural stem cells of the Hippocampus. Autophagy, a cellular process of self -digestion and recycling, can lead to the self -destruction of cells under certain conditions. The team of Professor Seong-Woon Yu has discovered that stress-related cell death in the hippocampus takes place via this autophagic mechanism. This throws a light light on the clear connection between stress and cognitive defects, mood disorders and even neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.

Essentially, science is clear: stress causes brain damage . With a better understanding of this phenomenon and its underlying mechanisms, there is hope that more effective treatments for stress -related complaints, mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases can be developed in the future.