There are a lot of people that took stress as a minor thing. Stress itself is not that problematic but if continuously ignored, it can turn into chronic stress which is a problem. People tend to overlook the effects that chronic stress put on their brain which later caused severe illnesses. Therefore, it is important for people to be aware of what would happen to their brains if they were to have chronic stress.
One of the effects of chronic stress on the human’s brain is the inability of the brain to learn. When an individual has chronic stress, they would not be able to focus on learning or memorize new information. According to the first article I have read which is from Reader’s Digest Canada, Neural Stem Cells which later developed into neurons is important for learning and memory. When one is under chronic stress, the neurons would be coated in myelin and become oligodendrocytes. The excess myelin will disturb the balance of communication and timing within the brain’s circuitry. This would change how the neurons connect with each other and affect one’s cognitive function (Hiss, K., n.d.).
Other than that, another effect of chronic stress is a higher risk of depression. Chronic stress can prevent the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus and decreased the ability of the brain to handle stressful events. This caused the decrease of hippocampal volume which could lead to depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Lupien et al., 2018).
Besides that, chronic stress causes a higher risk of getting a stroke. People who are stressed usually emotionally unstable where they would be more short-tempered, impatient and aggressive. That kind of person would have a higher risk of getting stroke than those who are calm and patient. Stress could cause stroke because every time people get stressed, it would elevate the stress hormone which is called cortisol. This hormone caused the blood pressure to increase and this is one of the factors why stroke happens. High blood pressure could cause extra pressure on the arteries in the brain which could lead to hemorrhagic stroke (Can Stress Cause a Stroke? 2019).
Last but not least, chronic stress could cause a human’s brain to shrink. It sounds almost laughable and people would usually wonder if the human’s brain could actually shrink. The answer is yes. According to Hiss, K. from Reader’s Digest Canada (n. d.), this matter is caused by devastating events that could lead to anxiety such as divorce, death of loved ones and loss of home. Such an event could reduce the grey matter in parts of the medial prefrontal cortex. This part is in charge of self-control and emotions.
All of these effects are usually overlooked and are unknown to people since stress is usually treated as a trivial thing. However, what it can cause is not trivial. Therefore, it is important to know what effect stress would cause on our brain and learn how to manage it.
References
Can Stress Cause a Stroke? (2019, February 14) Retrieved from https://www.flintrehab.com/2019/can-stress-cause-a-stroke/
Hiss, K. (n. d.) The Scary Things That Happen To Your Brain When You’re Stressed – and How to Calm Down. Reader’s Digest Canada. Retrieved from https://www.readersdigest.ca/health/healthy-living/effects-of-stress-brain/
Lupien, S. J., Juster, R. P., Raymond, C., & Marin, M. F. (2018). The effects of chronic stress on the human brain: From neurotoxicity, to vulnerability, to opportunity. Frontiers in neuroendocrinology, 49, 91-105. (Second article)