How does brain size affect stress? : Your doctor

The stress is the worst enemy of health and a new study has revealed that to be stressed constantly reduces the the size of the brain and that deteriorates the memory.

Stress can cause headaches, fatigue and digestive problems, but without realizing it, it also damages your brain.

Being stressed reduces the size of the brain

According to a study published in the specialized magazine Neurology, people with a high level of stress have more cortisol in the blood.

The stress hormone or cortisol alters the memory and causes the formation of smaller brains.

To verify this, researchers at the Harvard Medical School They studied more than 2,000 people just over 40 years old.

They assessed their memory and thinking skills and took samples of their blood and brain volume.

The results showed that people with high levels of cortisol or stress had lower scores on memory tests and thinking skills.

Higher cortisol was also associated with lower total brain volume.

"Cortisol affects many different functions, so it's important to look in-depth at how high levels of stress hormone affect the brain," he says. Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui, lead author of the study and physician at Harvard.

Also read: What are the effects of stress on metabolism?

Stress and deterioration of the brain

The investigation revealed that one stressed brain He has memory loss and cerebral contraction before the symptoms begin to manifest.

For this reason, it is recommended to look for ways toreduce stress as much as possible.

Some strategies include sleeping well, exercising in moderation, integrating relaxation techniques into daily life, and keeping abreast of cortisol levels.

Other studies carried out in the University of California They also found that chronic stress can lead to changes in the structure and function of the brain.

In the long run, stress can make people more inclined to anxiety and mood disorders.

According to experts, chronic stress generates myelin-producing cells and fewer neurons.

A myelin excess and white matter in certain areas of the brain results in less space for brain function such as thinking and decision-making.

This cognitive deterioration may be a precursor to dementia, so it is clear that stress impairs brain function.

Keep reading: symptoms that alert people to severe work stress