Stress is useful and positive when it responds to a hazard. It helps us mobilize all our energy to face adversity.

But when the tensions are permanent, it is destructive. Our coping skills are dwindling and the body can no longer recover. He then lives under the steady stream of stress hormones - especially cortisol - which induce in the long run unpleasant symptoms: nervousness, anxiety, palpitation, prolonged fatigue, sleep disorders ... In high doses, they wear the body prematurely and favor the appearance of many pathologies.

Damage to the brain and intestine

The absence of stress is not a bulwark against Alzheimer's disease. But being subjected to prolonged high pressure alters areas of the brain that govern our behavior, our ability to concentrate and our memory.

American researchers at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York followed the life course of more than 500 people for 20 years. Their work, published in April 2016 in the journal "Alzheimer Disease", unequivocally show a link between cognitive decline and exposure to chronic stress.

The first disturbances are also manifested in the heart, with a risk of hypertension and infarction exacerbated ( 40% in women according to the American Association of Cardiology).

The digestive function is also disturbed. Many colitis, stomach cramps and nausea result from an adrenaline overdose.

An impact on the waistline

"A permanently high cortisol level tends to make the body fat, especially at the abdominal level," says Angélique Houlbert, nutritionist author of "Stress natural solutions" (Thierry Soucar ed).

Stress induces a significant release of ghrelin, a hormone secreted by the digestive tract that sends irrepressible hunger signals. Hence our unwanted need for snacking when our nerves are pelota. Cortisol also acts directly on adipose tissue, inducing it to store excessively. Suddenly, any calorie ingested inflates our cellulite. The famous pounds of stress.

Immune immunity

Stress also weakens our immune defenses. "It promotes inflammation which causes prolonged fatigue and greater vulnerability to infections," said Dr. Catherine Serfaty-Lacrosnière, a nutritionist at the hospital La Pitié-Salpêtrière. It is also aging early.

For example, biologists have found that women who are eternally stressed lack telomerase, the enzyme that maintains the integrity of the chromosomes inside cells and allows the organs to regenerate well.

It is therefore imperative to break this infernal spiral. To muzzle all sources of stress is of course impossible. But taking a step back and allowing yourself some respite helps you to better manage the pressure. A good resolution to implement at the beginning of the school year!