by Ingredia USA | May 28, 2021 | Pet Health, Stress Management
In the U.S., nearly 39% of American households have a dog and nearly 26% have a cat. 70% of Americans have at least one pet, and most of them consider their pets to be a part of the family.
When your dog or cat is sick or seems somehow unwell, it can be very distressing. Since they aren’t able to tell you what’s wrong, it’s easy to feel helpless in the face of their problem.
If your pet has been experiencing digestive issues, there are a number of potential causes. However, many pet owners don’t realize the connection between stress and the cat and dog digestive system.
How can stress impact the gastrointestinal tract of your pets? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.
How Stress Affects the Cat and Dog Digestive System
When a dog or a cat is anxious or stressed, their body responds by increasing stress hormones in their body. This has an impact on their brain but also their gastrointestinal system because of the large number of nerves present in that system.
When stressed out, a pet’s intestines can have increased nerve activity and blood can move away from the intestines. This can lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
A large part of your dog’s immune system is housed in his or her intestinal tract. This means that when they are stressed, it can wreak havoc on both their GI tract and their body’s ability to ward off viruses and diseases.
How Stress Can Impact Pet Eating Habits
If you find that your dog or cat is suddenly no longer interested in food or significantly less interested than before, you’ll want to talk to your vet. It is possible that this is caused by an underlying health condition, but it could also be because of stress.
Are you wondering how stress can impact your pet’s overall health and well-being? Check out this article.
How Stress Can Affect Pet Weight Management
If stress is leading your pet to eat less, you might notice that they are losing weight.
In dogs, weight loss is considered to be significant clinically if the loss isn’t associated with dehydration or fluid loss and they lose more than 10% of their normal body weight. While there are a number of things that can lead to your dog losing weight, such as changes in their diet and environment, stress and anxiety can also lead to drastic weight loss.
If a cat experiences drastic weight loss, it could also be because of anxiety, stress, or depression. Cats might be upset by things like other animals in the feeding area, excessive noise, the food dish being too close to the litter box, or dirty food dishes.
Dog Stress Symptoms
Dogs can become stressed much like humans can. Unfortunately, though, they can’t speak up to express how they feel. There are a number of signs and symptoms you can look out for, though, if you’re concerned that your dog is feeling stressed.
These include:
- Whining or barking: While this can be a form of normal self-expression, it could also indicate stress or tension
- Drooling, licking, and yawning: Dogs can also yawn when they’re bored or tired, but a stressed yawn is typically more intense and longer than a tired yawn
- Changes in ears and eyes: Their pupils might be dilated, they might blink rapidly, and their ears might be pinned back against their head
- Changes in body posture: A dog that cowers, tucks their tail, becomes rigid, or shifts his weight to his rear legs might be stressed
- Shedding: When dogs are anxious, the amount that they shed increases
- Panting: If you notice that your dog is panting when he or she hasn’t exercised recently, it might be a sign of stress
- Bodily function changes: Nervous dogs might feel the need to urgently go to the bathroom, lose their bowel function, or refuse food
- Displacement or avoidance behavior: Stressed dogs might “escape” by shifting their attention to something else
- Escape or hiding behavior: A dog that is stressed also might hide or engage in diversion activities
Many of these signs of stress in dogs aren’t necessarily only indicative of stress. In order to be able to tell the difference between stress symptoms and other behavior, it’s important to be familiar with the regular demeanor of your dog.
Relaxed dogs tend to have forward-facing or semi-erect ears, round eyes, and a soft mouth. Additionally, their weight is evenly distributed on their paws.
Signs of Stress in Cats
While stress can impact the gut health of both dogs and cats, they don’t necessarily display stress in the same way. Some signs you’ll want to look out for include:
- Diarrhea
- Inappropriate elimination
- Hiding or extra clinginess
- Inappropriate scratching
- Over-grooming, sometimes even creating patches without fur
- Decreased appetite
Much like with dogs, you will want to become familiar with the normal behavior of your cat in order to notice if they are acting unusual. The personality of cats can vary greatly between individual animals, so one cat being skittish might be more normal while it might be quite odd for another.
Digestive Issues Might Just Be a Sign Your Dog or Cat Is Stressed Out
If you notice that your pet is having digestive problems, it’s entirely possible that it is being caused by stress. In humans, dogs, and cats, the hormones released when we are stressed out can wreak havoc on our gastrointestinal system.
Gaining a greater understanding of the relationship between stress and the cat and dog digestive system is helpful when you own a pet. However, it’s always a good idea to consult with your vet so you can rule out other underlying health conditions if your pet is exhibiting strange behavior or experiencing gastrointestinal distress.
If you found this article useful, click here to learn about the impact that stress has on elderly individuals.
by Ingredia USA | May 19, 2021 | Pet Health, Stress Management
When your pet suddenly begins going to the bathroom indoors, it can be alarming, to say the least.
There are two main causes of improper elimination: pet health and stress. Just like people get stressed out, our pets can too. We’ll be looking at how you can figure out whether it’s stress causing improper elimination and why it happens in this article.
Start with Pet Health
As we said in the introduction, if your pet has been fine in general, it can be very worrying when that changes overnight.
Improper elimination can be related to a variety of medical issues. You’re best off investigating this as a potential cause first. You should schedule a consultation with your vet as soon as you’re aware of the problem.
There are a variety of possible medical causes for improper elimination. But some of the most common causes of more frequent urination include:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Bladder infections
- Bladder stones and crystals
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Diabetes
Any medical issues which cause neurological deterioration or decrease mobility may also contribute to more frequent issues with elimination indoors. This could include conditions such as arthritis and dementia.
Both of the latter conditions are linked with aging so this should also be ruled out as a root cause of improper elimination by your vet.
All this said, if you’ve ruled out medical causes then the root cause is behavioral. In these instances, the most common cause is stress and anxiety-related.
Stress in pets presents differently for cats and dogs, so we’ll examine them each in more depth.
Stress in Cats
For cats, improper elimination will look a little different depending on whether you have an indoor or an outdoor cat.
For cats who have access to the outdoors, improper elimination would involve starting to go to the bathroom indoors instead. While for indoor cats, improper elimination would involve them going to the bathroom places other than their litter box.
We make this distinction because litter boxes can actually be a cause of stress in cats. It’s a common issue too, with an estimated 10% of cats developing litter box elimination problems.
Litter Box Stress
Almost all cats like using a clean, litter box. So a sudden avoidance is a clear indicator that the litter box is stressing out your cat. There are a few common causes of stress relating to litter boxes.
The first, and most common, stress factor is a dirty litter box. Cats will be stressed out having to stand in their own mess and will understandably avoid it. So start by making sure you’re cleaning out your cat’s litter box as often as you need to.
A good rule of thumb here is to spot clean the litter box every day by picking out clumps or waste. You should also be changing the entire litter box and washing it out every few days as a minimum.
Another common cause is size. Some cats are simply too big for their litter box and getting into a small cramped space stresses them out.
This is even more true if your cat’s litter box is hooded. So it may be worth investing in a new litter box that’s a better size or shape for your cat’s needs to see if it stresses them out less.
If you’re a multi-cat household, you need to provide enough litter boxes. Sharing litter boxes stresses cats out to the point they’ll often outright refuse. To avoid this, you should have a litter box for each cat and one extra.
Cats are oddballs, they can even be stressed out by particular types of litter or the litter being too deep. So you might want to try changing litter substances and only having around two inches of litter maximum.
Other Stress Causes in Cats
Cats are also affected by environmental factors, often more so than their owners give them credit for.
As we hinted at above, one of the most common environmental stress factors for cats is from living with other cats. While domesticated cats can create bonds with people and other pets, they are solitary animals by nature. So sharing a household with one, or many other pets, can be a huge cause of stress for many cats.
Similar to this, people can be a cause of stress for cats. A very busy household, loud guests, or a new baby can all create a stressed cat.
Even the layout of your house may stress your cat out. Moving furniture around or new furniture smells can all upset your cat.
For outdoor cats, the causes are more often external environmental factors than internal. Things like a new neighborhood cat, a cat in heat, or a new neighborhood dog can all stress your cat out.
Stress in Dogs
For dogs, litter boxes obviously aren’t a stress factor, but many of the other environmental causes above that we mentioned could be. This includes busy households, loud guests, new arrivals, and multi-pet households all being common stress factors for dogs.
Dogs are also affected by changes in routine. This should come as no surprise to pet owners whose four-legged friends seem to have an internal alarm clock when it comes to dinner and walks! But even minor changes in your routine that you don’t think would affect your dog can stress them out.
Moving is another huge cause of stress for dogs. This is often even more true for rescue dogs who may have abandonment issues or other insecurities.
Similar to this, separation anxiety is a huge stress factor for dogs. This occurs when your pet is left alone for too long a period of time. Dogs with separation anxiety often have issues with improper elimination.
Multi-pet households may also lead to a stressed dog marking. This is when a dog urinates on upright objects. It’s most often male dogs, but females may mark too. Marking is a common symptom of both stress and anxiety, often linked to environmental changes.
Learn More
Stress in pets has many causes, but improper elimination is one of the most common symptoms. Examining your environment and any life changes may help you get to the root of what’s stressing your pet. It might also help to learn more about how stress impacts pet health.
by Ingredia USA | May 11, 2021 | Pet Health, Stress Management
Many pet owners wish their dogs could just tell them when they’re stressed, but most don’t realize that they already do.
It’s common for pet anxiety to affect pet behavior. However, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between pet stress and normal pet behavior. This is because some signs of stress are at times normal and at other times not normal.
So many pets remain stressed while their owners have no idea. In this article, you will learn all about pet behavior explained. Continue reading to find out more about your dog’s unspoken signs of stress.
Signs of Pet Anxiety
Dogs become stressed when they see other dogs, when they see strangers, at the vet’s office, and when their environment is changing. However, stress is unique to each dog.
One dog that is fearful of strangers may show signs of stress while another dog doesn’t. Likewise, just because you’ve seen your pet respond to a stressful situation one way doesn’t mean that’s their only stress response.
Being aware of your surroundings and the below signs will help make you aware of your dog’s stress levels. It will also help you understand what situations to avoid or alter in the future.
Panting
Panting is common in hot temperatures, but it’s also a behavior related to pet stress. Because of this, it’s sometimes difficult for owners to tell the difference between normal pet behavior and stress.
The easiest way to tell if your dog is stressed is to consider the situation. Is it unusually hot or has your dog been exercising?
If the answer is yes, then they may just be cooling down. However, if the answer is no, consider what else might be going on to cause this stress response.
Licking, Yawning, and Drooling
Some of the most common dog behavior changes related to stress involve the mouth. Dogs will lick their lips, yawn, and drool when stressed. Some pet owners wrongfully assume this is because they’re hungry or thirsty.
However, keep in mind that there are other reasons for your dog to behave like this. For example, nausea can make dogs lick their lips and drool. So, consider their surroundings and decide which makes the most sense.
Expression and Posture
Your dog’s expression might change when anxious. Dogs should have relaxed ears and almond-shaped eyes when calm.
Pet anxiety causes their ears to tense and stands alert. The inner flap of the ear may turn red. Their eyes widen and dilate while their mouth becomes tense at the sides.
Likewise, their posture may change. Your dog may crouch low to the ground with a hunched back. They may also tuck their tail between their legs and become rigid.
Hiding or Avoidance
In uncomfortable situations, your dog may choose to hide. Hiding and avoidance can mean literally hiding beneath a bed, table, or person. It can also mean looking or walking away (sometimes even pacing).
If your dog is hiding or avoiding a situation, it’s worth removing them from the situation. If your dog is generally anxious, it’s a great way to identify some positive reinforcement training opportunities.
Trembling
Trembling is one of those pet behavior changes that seem to occur suddenly. It’s also one of the most common stress signs noticed by owners because it occurs so quickly and is so out of the ordinary.
Shedding
Shedding is common in many breeds, especially at certain times of the year, but it can also result due to severe stress. However, this can also be a sign of other health conditions. If you notice sudden and severe shedding in your dog, talk with your dog’s veterinarian.
Whining or Barking
Most dogs don’t bark or whine for no reason. Even when it may seem like there is no obvious cause of stress. However, whining or barking is common among dog behavior issues.
Some dogs bark to scare away what is causing them stress such as strangers. It can also result from separation anxiety, fear of other dogs, or unknown sounds.
If your dog is whining or barking, there is almost always a reason. To correct the issue, it’s important to try to locate the source of the anxiety.
Abnormal Accidents
One of the most surprising dog behavior changes for pet owners is the one that affects potty habits. Pet parents are often shocked when bringing their pet to the vet only to have them urinate or defecate all over the floor. It’s especially surprising if it’s an uncommon issue.
However, this is a dog behavior issue that results from stress. Dogs can also develop sudden diarrhea as a result of stress. This reaction causes owners to worry that their dog is sick instead of stressed.
To differentiate the two, it’s worth talking with your dog’s vet. They can provide treatments necessary to relieve your dog’s stress or treat other issues resulting in accidents or diarrhea.
How to Help These Dog Behavior Issues
If you want to avoid or correct these common signs of pet stress, start by learning your dog’s normal demeanor. To do this, watch them when they are relaxing at home on a normal day.
Then, see how their behavior changes in different situations. Even minor changes in behavior can signify stress.
Once you’ve determined the difference between your dog when they’re relaxed vs when they’re stressed, you can start to help them. Use positive reinforcement training techniques to change their association with their stressors. You can also talk with your dog’s vet about calming aids made with quality ingredients.
Help Ease Pet Anxiety
Help ease pet anxiety by learning about what it looks like. Pay attention to how your dog acts at home when they are most relaxed. Then, pay attention to any changes and what might cause those changes.
Don’t forget that some signs of stress might seem completely normal. So, it’s important to pay attention to the situation to see if the behavior is normal or stress-related. The more attention you give, the more prepared you are to help them.
To learn more about how stress affects our daily lives, head to our blog.
by Ingredia USA | May 4, 2021 | Pet Health, Stress Management
Today, 33% of people say that they’re experiencing extreme stress in their lives. Stress isn’t just something that we human beings live with — even pets are living with the fear and anxiety that this condition causes.
But how exactly does stress affect your pet’s well-being? We explain that and more in the information below.
Some Pets Start to Take on Your Stress
Believe it or not, you might be the biggest thing stressing your pet out. Scientific studies assert that in many situations, pets mirror the stress and anxiety exhibited by their owners.
Animals have adept senses that allow them to hunt in the wild and adapt to a variety of environments. This makes them ultra-sensitive to changes in your temperament and stress response. Watch for signs of your dog’s emotions heightening while yours heighten.
A stressful environment for you is also a stressful environment for your pet. Learn some stress management strategies that will curb this issue.
When you start managing stress better, it’ll make your entire household more peaceful. Consider a meditation practice, getting more sleep, and organizing the life matters that are out of control to help lower the temperature on stress in your home.
Your Pet Might Start Shaking or Developing Nervous Ticks
Pets carry the energy of stress in their bodies. If they aren’t able to discharge that energy on a walk or playing outside, it can lead to shaking or nervous ticks.
You might see your dog pacing back and forth for seemingly no reason at all. This is typically a sign that they’ve been storing stress that has become chronic. Expect these issues to keep getting worse if the stress issue isn’t properly managed.
They May Start to Hide or Avoid Being Out and About in Your Home
Pay careful attention to your pet’s behavior. If they’re exhibiting odd tendencies to be anti-social, it could also be a sign that they’re stressed out.
Animals dealing with inordinate stress might begin finding hiding places and avoiding coming out when they know people are home. Be particularly mindful of potential stress problems if your pet begins whining and whimpering while they’re tucked away in a hiding place.
Pets often develop stress due to noise sensitivities. For instance, frequent storms, noisy equipment, fireworks, and even the vacuum cleaner can contribute.
Their Posture Can Weaken and Decline
Your dog or cat’s body language says a lot about its overall health. Check out their posture and notice if the pet appears sunken, rather than upright.
This poor posture could also be a sign of chronic stress. It’s not uncommon to see stressed dogs begin to cower or shift their weight, rather than standing on all four legs like normal.
When your dog or cat isn’t properly carrying its weight, it will be more likely to deal with swelling and injuries that will only worsen.
You May Start to Notice More Accidents and Destructiveness Around the House
When your pet is stressed out, it may also start to have bladder control issues. Pay attention to urination spots that are suddenly popping up, particularly if your dog is well-trained.
Things like a new move or other life changes can cause pets to start having accidents due to stress. If your pet begins to use the bathroom all over the house, their training goes by the wayside and they may start to pick up other bad habits.
You’ll also have far more cleaning on your hands, in addition to damage to your carpets that could cost you some serious money.
Pets dealing with stress, anxiety, and boredom might also become more destructive around the house and may bark more frequently.
Pets Will Begin Shedding More Frequently and in Larger Amounts
Notice whether or not you’re finding pet hair all over your house. Similar to the way humans may begin shedding hair when they’re dealing with inordinate amounts of stress, pets, too will begin to lose lots of fur.
Shedding is normal for many pets, which is why you should always have an idea of how much your pet generally sheds normally. This will let you know when their shedding is seemingly more frequent or in larger amounts.
In the entertainment business, it isn’t uncommon for show dogs to lose large amounts of fur in the middle of a performance due to stress and anxiety. Pets dealing with intense stress can develop the habit of excessively licking their fur, which can lead to alopecia.
Shedding of fur can create a mess all over your house, and may also cause you to use a lot of time and resources trying to find out what’s wrong with your pet.
The Stress Can Lead to Physical Illness
Don’t lose sight of the fact that stress can mount up and create physical problems for your dog. When they are dealing with consistent stress, your dog or cat may develop high blood pressure and physical pain.
They might also start to deal with weight gain, which can lead to joint issues and arthritis. The buildup of the cortisol stress hormone will lead to your pet’s body being more inflamed, which also makes them more likely to deal with pain and discomfort.
Help Your Pets De-Stress to Improve Their Quality of Life
As you can see, stress can take a serious toll on your pets. Their overall quality of life is at stake when they are dealing with emotions and feelings that are difficult to manage.
You can help take control of the situation by giving your pet plenty of exercise and doing your best to manage stress in your household as a whole.
We have a variety of other posts that could help you, from helping kids get to bed to managing weight gain.
Our ingredients can help you get the end product that you’re looking for. To learn more about us and what we do, contact us for more information.
by Ingredia USA | Apr 27, 2021 | Stress Management
What if your everyday routine was causing damage to your body?
All of us encounter stress in our daily lives and some experience more stress than others. Unfortunately, many people don’t know exactly how stress affects women’s health.
Wondering what stress might be doing to your own body? Keep reading to discover the answer!
The Biology of Stress
Everyone experiences stress from time to time. But do you know what stress is doing to your body on a biological level?
When you experience stress, your body will release hormones in reaction. This includes hormones such as adrenaline.
Generally speaking, these hormones are a good thing. For example, a sudden burst of adrenaline can help you react quickly in the event of an emergency.
But you aren’t meant to experience the effects of these hormones all the time. The more stress you experience and the more often you experience it, the more your body will start to feel negative short- and even long-term effects.
Women’s Health and Stress: Why Is It So Important?
Our guide is focusing on women’s health when it comes to stress. But why is it so important to highlight how this affects women?
According to a variety of studies, women are likelier to experience stress than men are. On top of that, women are likelier to experience certain stress symptoms, including anxiety and depression (more on this later).
Unfortunately, modern science still doesn’t know exactly why stress affects women differently than it affects men. But now that we know that this is the case, it’s more important than ever to recognize signs of stress and do our best to avoid stressful situations.
With that in mind, here are some of the symptoms of stress you should be aware of.
Stress and Headaches
Obviously, there are a variety of factors that can cause headaches and migraines. But did you know stress is one of the likeliest causes?
That’s because of the physical reaction you have to stress. It’s natural to tense your muscles when you are feeling stressed out. But the longer your muscles are tense, the likelier you are to experience some nasty headaches and migraines.
This is why reducing stress is so important. If you are constantly experiencing stress, you may be constantly experiencing headaches and migraines. But reducing the stress in your life can help make these migraines and headaches a thing of the past.
Stress and Libido
One unexpected area where stress can impact your life is in the bedroom. Simply put, stress is likely to negatively impact your sex life!
At its mildest level, high levels of stress will make you distracted during sex and affect the overall quality. But stress can also make it harder to experience arousal and ultimately reduce your sex drive in a big way.
The good news is that you can begin treating your stress right away. And you may soon discover that your libido has fully returned.
Anxiety, Depression, and Stress
Earlier, we mentioned that women were more likely to experience anxiety and depression from stress than men. In fact, women are twice as likely to experience depression.
And women are more likely to experience anxiety disorders. These include disorders such as OCD, PSTD, and panic disorder.
Overall, women are simply likelier to feel the effects of stress than men are. And that makes it more important than ever for women to detect symptoms of stress and fight back against them.
Menstrual Issues and Stress
One very unexpected symptom of stress in women concerns menstruation. We’re sad to report that stress can actually make everything about PMS that much worse.
General PMS symptoms may be more severe when you are stressed. Additionally, your period may be irregular as well.
Stress and Heart Problems
Stress can have a profound effect on your heart health. Unfortunately, many women don’t know just how bad this can be!
When you are stressed out, it tends to raise both your heart rate and your blood pressure. And the longer your blood pressure is high, the likelier you are to experience something serious like a stroke.
This can even affect young women, especially if you have had previous heart-related health issues.
Pregnancy and Stress
Have you been having trouble getting pregnant? It’s possible that stress might be the cause!
Sadly, women who are very stressed out will have more difficulty getting pregnant. And this can eventually become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you are having trouble getting pregnant, you are likely to stress out over that issue. And that initial stress can make getting pregnant that much more difficult because your stress levels continue to rise!
Stress and Stomach Issues
Have you had an upset stomach lately? It may not be something you ate. Instead, it may be caused by stress.
Short-term stress can lead to issues such as vomiting and diarrhea. But longer-term stress can lead to more serious issues such as irritable bowel syndrome.
But it gets worse. After stress gives you IBS, continued stress can make IBS symptoms (including bloating and gas) even worse than they already are.
Obesity and Stress
Stress can actually lead to obesity. And while stress-snacking can be a factor, the issue goes deeper than that.
When you are stressed out, your body produces more cortisol. In addition to prompting you to eat more, cortisol also causes your body to store additional fat.
This produces a kind of perfect storm where you are eating more food and retaining more fat. And women experience this problem much more keenly than men do.
What’s Next?
Stress affects women’s health in many different ways. Fortunately, researchers and companies are working every day to reduce and street the stress in women’s lives.
The right supplements and dairy ingredients can greatly improve quality of life and reduce stress. To learn more about the research and ingredients that can promote wellness in your life and reduce stress, contact us today!
by Ingredia USA | Apr 17, 2021 | Stress Management
What if the worst part of getting older was the stress?
Everybody deals with stress throughout each week. However, most of us aren’t aware enough of how stress uniquely affects the elderly.
The truth is that stress has major effects on elderly health. Keep reading to find out exactly what those effects are!
Why Are Older People Likelier to Be Stressed?
Our guide focuses on how stress can affect elderly health. Before we go any further, it’s important to detail why older people may be at a higher risk for stress.
One of the biggest sources of stress can be your health. As your overall health declines and you face various health scares, it can create ongoing stress about your overall health. And the rising costs of healthcare can make that stress even worse.
You may also be experiencing isolation that causes stress. Once children move out of the house, you may feel lonely when it is just you and your spouse. And if your spouse dies (or you lose someone else, like a friend, family member, or even pet), it can make you feel even more lonely and isolated.
Many older people also feel stress because they are now very dependent on other people. And you might even feel stressed due to a lack of purpose. While you are meant to relax in your golden years, plenty of older people worry about having no great challenges left to complete.
Now that you know why older people are likely to experience stress, let’s take a closer look at the impact this stress has on elderly health.
Stress and Heart Problems
What happens when you experience stress? Your body floods with hormones like adrenaline. In turn, that adrenaline leads to increases in your heart rate and blood pressure, which increases your risk of stroke.
Additionally, there is a major link between stress and heart disease. Regular and ongoing stress may put your heart health in extreme danger.
Instead of treating this issue with medication or lifestyle changes, many seniors turn to stress relief in the form of food, alcohol, and recreational drugs. But too much of any of this can cause additional problems while also hurting your blood vessels and arteries and increasing your overall risk of heart disease.
Your Immune System and Stress
When it comes to stress, many elderly people confuse the cause with the effects. For example, if you are sick and stressed, it’s easy to think that you are simply stressed over being sick.
In reality, it is likely that stress made you sick. This is because being stressed lowers your immune system and makes you more susceptible to illness.
While this can happen to people of any age, seniors already have a risk of a lowered immune system due to aging (which is just one more reason you don’t recover from sickness as quickly as you did when you were younger).
Dental Health and Stress
Many people are surprised to hear about the link between their stress and their dental health. In reality, this link is more obvious than you might expect.
As a reaction to stress, many of us automatically clench our teeth. But doing this regularly means you are constantly grinding your teeth.
Such grinding makes your teeth likelier to fracture or develop cavities. Conversely, removing the stressors from your life is one of the best possible things you can do for your dental health.
Stress, Vision, and Hearing
You might expect deteriorating vision and hearing may just be a part of getting older. But stress can make these issues worse, especially for older people.
That’s because stress causes adrenaline to flow through your body, and that adrenaline actually constricts your blood vessels. Once you are stressed out, your vision and hearing may get worse.
The good news is that this kind of negative impact on your vision and hearing is only temporary. If you can clear the stress out of your life, your eyes and ears will feel practically brand new.
Elderly Health, Stress, and Digestion
It’s something of an open secret that stress can impact your digestive health. After all, plenty of people react to stress by saying that the stressor is making them sick to their stomach.
How, though, does stress actually affect your digestion? It’s all a matter of your body’s “fight or flight” response.
This response occurs in your central nervous system and helps tell you whether to run from something dangerous or confront it head-on. And for the most part, this evolutionary response helps to keep us safe.
But that same effect reduces the blood flow needed for a healthy digestive system. And you end up getting the worst of both worlds: stress will make your digestive muscles contract while reducing the assorted secretions that promote a healthy digestive system.
Such digestive issues are annoying enough in the short-term. But if you continue to experience stress and digestive problems, you might eventually develop longer-term issues such as ulcers and IBS.
Memory Issues and Stress
You might already be struggling with memory issues as you get older. Sadly, stress can make this experience worse.
That’s because stress releases cortisol in your body. Cortisol has its purposes, but it can ultimately damage your brain cells until they require repair.
That healing process takes longer once you are older. And if you are frequently stressed, your brain cells don’t have enough time to adequately recover. Eventually, all of that stress may add up to a more serious memory disorder such as Alzheimer’s.
Your Next Move
Now you know how stress can impact elderly health. But do you know how you can fight back against that?
The right information and products can reduce stress and improve your quality of life. To discover the kinds of research and other info that may provide a healthier and longer life, just contact us today!
