7 ways stress affects men's health

Stress is firmly embedded in our lives. It became normal to be under stress for every man. Many men's diseases result from constant stress. However, stress is not always a bad thing, there is a stress that we badly need. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize the difference between good and bad stress, as well as to be aware of the possible consequences of the last one.

So there are two types of stress:

1. Eustress

Eustress means beneficial stress, limited stress. This kind of stress has a major influence upon how our body adapts to the stress factor and challenges us to be better. We experience eustress during short workouts of medium intensity, increasing functional reserves of the human body.

2. Distress

Distress means negative, extreme stress. Such an acute stress can affect your entire body and could put your health at serious risk, leading to the disability of the body's immune defenses and possible development into chronic distress.

And here are the effects of distress on the male body:

1. Male fertility decline

The hormones cortisol and epinephrine are released in stressful situations. They block the action of the main male hormone testosterone. Additionally, stress results in fluctuating blood pressure. This also restricts blood flow in the main male sex organ. All of the above leads to reduced potency and the inability to engage in what is considered 'full sex', therefore, making you stress out even more. Thus, situation gets even worse.

2. Increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Scientists from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) across the 50 years of the global study revealed that chronic stress exposure in men, regardless of their socio-economic status, body mass index and heart disease, can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.

3. Infertility

American scientists have found that distress can decrease the quality of sperm and lead to infertility. These conclusions were made based on data from the American community of reproductive medicine. According to this data, among 40% of couples that cannot conceive a child, men are infertile. The main cause of infertility in men is sperm abnormalities. This is mainly due to the insufficient number of functional sperm and low sperm mobility. Scientists say that men who had been affected by stress more than the others over the past 1-2 years had worse sperm motility and fewer cells with normal percentage of sperm morphology.

4. Trouble sleeping

Ongoing anxiety, irritability, and nervousness lead to disturbed sleep and insomnia. Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig of the University of Munich believes that if poor sleep and stress effects are chronic, it can eventually lead to depletion of the body's energy reserves and early death.

5. Obesity

Studies conducted by specialists from the University of California accurately confirmed the fact that stress leads to the fat accumulation, especially in the abdominal area. Stress has a an influence upon how often men begin to snack, having sugar and fat cravings, which results in emotional eating that tends to become out of control.

6. Increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes

Stress can increase the risk of having a heart attack by 27%. People who have already had a heart attack before but continue to experience stress, the risk of a second heart attack in the next two years increases by 42%.

7. Lack of energy

Stress hormones, which are actively produced when we experience negative situations, mobilize the male body and keep you under stress. As a result, nutrients are depleted and that is something that does not allow a man to live a full life.

Stressful situations happen all the time in everyday life and can have a negative impact on men's health. To escape this, you need to try to minimize the impact of bad stress on your life. Find time to exercise, get the proper nutrition, get enough sleep, have sex regularly and, as a result, coping with stress will get a lot easier.