The Health Risk of Insignificant Distress
QHHL 
Aug 02 2018
0 
0 QHHL
Life can be stressful sometimes. Even when things are going well, it’s almost normal to feel low levels of distress on a regular basis. This feeling could come from anything. You might feel it after an altercation with your partner or with a friend. The busy morning traffic could leave you feeling uneasy. Even a disagreement at work could make you feel distressed for the rest of the day. You might think that feeling this way is normal, but recent research indicates that it’s actually a serious health risk.
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How Even Insignificant Distress is a Health Risk Factor[/caption]
People who suffer from a period of severe distress, often brought on by pain or grief, understand that this state is unhealthy. There are a lot of resources out there for people in this condition, places they can go to find help and support. But distress isn’t always severe. Sometimes, it can become habitual, something you feel on a daily basis but don’t think much about. This kind of stress can quite literally become a habit. And once it does you probably wouldn’t even consider getting help to overcome it. This is because you probably don’t associate low levels of stress with health risk. And making this mistake could threaten your overall health and wellbeing.
It’s long been understood that high levels of psychological distress can increase the risk of certain chronic diseases. The diseases most commonly linked to distress are arthritis, diabetes, lung disease, and cardiovascular disease. However, less is known about the link between chronic diseases and low or moderate levels of distress. In a recent study, researchers tried to examine this connection. The purpose of the study was to determine if low levels of distress, caused by anxiety or depression, actually increased the risk of developing chronic diseases. The results of the study highlighted the danger of even mild stress. They also suggested that people need to become more aware of the health risk created by their own emotional state.
The researchers found that low and moderate levels of stress had a significant effect on overall health. For example, people who suffered low levels of psychological distress were 57 percent more likely to develop arthritis. This was compared to the disease rates of participants who reported no distress. People with moderate levels of distress were 72 percent more likely to develop arthritis. Looking at the other chronic diseases, participants with low distress levels were 46 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases. And participants with moderate levels of distress had a 77 percent greater chance of developing cardiovascular problems and an increased risk of 125 percent of lung disease.
If you suffer from habitual distress, the most important thing to do is to address this health risk factor. The obvious first step is to visit your doctor to evaluate your overall health. However, many people in this situation are reluctant to do that. The reasons for this can vary. You may feel as if your condition isn’t bad enough to warrant a doctor’s visit, or be reluctant to share such personal lifestyle information with them. Whatever the reason is, there are still things you can do.
Performing a health risk assessment and self-monitoring activities at home can be a vital step in improving your health. It will give you more information on your distress levels and their effects on your physical wellbeing. It will also let you know when you do need to go to the doctor. By monitoring your distress levels, you will quickly notice any sharp increases and be able to make an appointment to check for any changes in your physical health status. This will help you to avoid many potential problems associated with stress. It will also encourage you to make lifestyle changes to decrease the overall levels of distress in your daily life.
If you’re concerned about a health risk factor, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: Distress, health risk, health risk assessment