Stress: Seven Different Ways it Can Affect Men

People of both genders suffer from stress. While it brings out the caring side in women, men tend to get more aggressive when they are dealing with stress. Since stress sends distress signals to the body, all the long term functions and needs are ignored to take care of immediate body requirements. This is why a lot of stress can wear the body down, leaving a person drained. The following are a few ways in which stress affects the health of men and causes issues:

1. Reduces Attractiveness – A study was conducted by the University of Aberdeen and it was established that higher levels of testosterone make a man more attractive. Also, higher the levels of testosterone, better the immunity is. On the other hand, increased levels of cortisol (or the stress hormone) make a man less attractive, as per the study.

2. Risk of Heart Disease Early – Normally, stress has always been associated with heart diseases, but it has been established that inherited stress might increase the chances of getting it early. Many studies have been conducted on inherited stress and one of them linked it to early heart diseases. Men who had a previous history of heart ailments in the family got heart disease within 12 years. Also, these same men had a higher score on the stress levels as compared to men who didn't suffer from heart issues.

3. Stress Could Affect Offspring’s Development – Research has been conducted on animals and is being used as a basis to explain how stress on the parent can have effects on the child’s development and response to stress. Basically, long term stress causes some changes in the sperm, which in turn affects the child when he or she grows up. Many neuropsychiatric ailments could be explained if this issue is researched further.

4. Prostate Cancer – Studies conducted by University of California have established that for men dealing with prostate cancer, de-stressing could prove beneficial. Another study that was conducted on mice linked stress to increasing development of prostate cancer. This study also suggested that de-stressing should become a part of prostate cancer treatment.

5. Erectile Dysfunction – Around 10 – 20% of all erectile dysfunction cases do not involve any physiological reasons at all. They happen because of factors like stress, depression, and anxiety. During arousal, the parasympathetic system should be working but instead, the sympathetic system gets turned on because of the above mentioned factors. The sympathetic nervous system resists and fights thereby, causing erectile dysfunction.

6. Lower Count of Sperm – Stress lessens the amount of ejaculation and also, the sperm count is lower as compared to men not dealing with stress. The sperm is not just less but the quality and health of the sperm gets heavily affected because of stress as well.

7. Social Problems – Stress causes men to become fearful, angry, and aloof from social engagements.

Not only does stress affect your personal life, it affects your health and mental well-being as well. It is important to practice activities that cause you to reduce stress from your life and relax your body and mind.