London physician explains how ‘chronic stress’ shows up in your body and increases heart disease risk; shares symptoms

Chronic stress often shows up in your body before you even realise it. Physician Dr Sermed Mezher explains the subtle signs and why you shouldn’t ignore them.

You know those days when you’re juggling a hundred things, running on low sleep, and telling yourself you’re fine? Sometimes your body disagrees. Chronic stress doesn’t always show up loudly, it creeps in through constant fatigue, headaches, mood swings, and aches you can’t explain. When you ignore these signs for too long, your body starts to speak louder.

Dr Sermed Mezher, a family medicine physician and content creator based in London, United Kingdom, explains on his November 25 Instagram post how chronic stress shows up in multiple ways in your body and why you shouldn’t brush it off.

How chronic stress impacts different body systems

Dr Mezher says, “Chronic stress doesn’t just affect mood, it places strain on multiple body systems. In the cardiovascular system, long-term stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and contribute to inflammation, all of which add up to a higher risk of heart disease.”

He further explains how stress keeps the body in a constant fight-or-flight state. “The nervous system stays in a constant state of alert, making it harder to relax, sleep, or concentrate,” he notes.

The gut also responds strongly to stress, often becoming one of the first places symptoms show up. “The gastrointestinal system can respond with symptoms like nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea, constipation, or flare-ups of conditions such as IBS,” Dr Mezher says.

What warning signs body send when stress goes unchecked

Hormonal balance isn’t spared either. “The endocrine system also feels the impact: prolonged stress can disrupt hormone balance, affect metabolism, alter appetite, and interfere with reproductive hormones.”

According to him, the body eventually begins to send clear signals that it has been under pressure for too long. “When these systems are pushed for too long, the body often sends signals such as fatigue, headaches, irritability, digestive issues, or feeling ‘wired and tired.’ Those signals aren’t weaknesses; they’re warnings.”

He emphasises that understanding these signs early is crucial. “Listening to your body and recognising when you’re doing too much is essential. Rest, boundaries, and stress-management strategies aren’t luxuries, they’re ways of keeping your body from paying the price of chronic overload.”

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.