Chronic stress may silently affect brain, body over time

Stress is a normal part of life, but when it persists for long periods, it can silently affect both the brain and the body. Neurosurgeon Dr Jay Jagannathan has explained how chronic stress may continue to impact a person's health even if they appear to be functioning normally in their daily life.

Doctor explains how chronic stress affects the body

In an Instagram post shared on July 13, Dr Jagannathan said people can continue working, making decisions and managing daily responsibilities while their nervous system spends less time in a fully relaxed state.

He explained that stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, prompting the body to release cortisol and catecholamines. While this response is helpful during short-term stressful situations, prolonged activation may have negative effects on overall health.

According to the neurosurgeon, long-term stress can influence attention and memory, sleep architecture, pain perception, muscle tone, heart rate and emotional reactivity.

Common symptoms may be signs of prolonged stress

Dr Jagannathan said many people dismiss stress-related symptoms as unrelated problems. Poor sleep is often attributed to a busy schedule, headaches to fatigue, irritability to personality and difficulty concentrating to a demanding workload.

However, he noted that these issues may all stem from the same prolonged stress response rather than separate causes.

Staying productive does not mean stress is harmless

Dr Jagannathan concluded by reminding people that remaining productive under pressure is not necessarily a sign that the body is coping well. He said chronic stress can continue to affect physical and mental health even when outward signs are not immediately noticeable.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.