When is stress dangerous to health?
Sudden, acute stress is adaptive. It is simply a signal to attack or escape, and besides stimulates the body to act. It can be experienced, for example, during the exam, witnessing an accident or during a occupation interview. Short-term stress is not dangerous to health, or even desirable. On the another hand, situations where it lasts a long time and involves experiencing unpleasant conditions are a wellness hazard. Especially erstwhile psychiatric symptoms specified as anxiety and depression and systemic disorders happen [1].
Can stress affect your oral health?
Chronic stress can affect the improvement of oral diseases. Its effect on the immune strategy is of large importance. Well, biologically, stress is associated with the stimulation of the autonomic system. The body besides increases levels of stress hormones, namely cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline. In the long term, they are the ones that weaken human resilience. Prolonged feeling of tension, anxiety and stress can upset the balance of the body, resulting in greater susceptibility to infections [2].
It is besides worth noting that the alleged oxidative stress has a major influence on the body. It occurs as a consequence of a imbalance between prooxidative processes and antioxidants with an advantage of oxidation reactions. erstwhile overproduction of free radicals occurs in the body and at the same time the antioxidant strategy fails to manage their neutralisation and removal, the human strategy is deregulated. The consequence of this condition is greater susceptibility to diseases, including those within the mouth [3].
What diseases in the mouth can origin stress?
It is already known that chronic stress impairs the immune strategy and antioxidant reactions to fight pathogens and free radicals. But what kind? oral disease could origin this condition?
The consequences of excessive and prolonged stress may be specified as [3, 4]:
- inflammation of the teeth, jaw and jaw bones and mucous membranes;
- oral cancers;
- ulcers in the mouth (relapse);
- oral fungal infections;
- xerostomy, or salivary disorder and associated excessive dry mouth;
- Sjögren syndrome and resulting dry mouth;
- periorbital lesions, i.e. inflammation of tissues around the tooth root;
- disturbance of the mouth mucosa.
What are the symptoms of stress in the mouth?
The characteristic symptoms of oral stress are [4]:
- common inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth (afts);
- periodontitis (paradontosis) and gingival infections;
- tense facial muscles;
- pain and grinding of teeth;
- disorders of the temporal joint;
- dry mouth
What are the consequences of stress on oral health?
Coping with aggravating ailments and the request for topical oral inflammation preparations are not the only consequences of chronic stress. A man who feels prolonged tension and has an uncontrollable reflex of gnashing his teeth must face tooth damage, tooth abrasion, and even failure of teeth. There are besides headaches, joints, eyes, neck, neck and jaw [4].
Chronic inflammation of the gums, which appear as a reaction to stress, can besides lead to failure of teeth. On the another hand, salivary disorders and dry mouth associated with constant nervousness are beneficial among others [4].
- development of bacterial gingivitis;
- fungal infections;
- caries;
- mechanical harm and irritation of mucous membranes in the mouth;
- an unpleasant odor from the mouth (halitosis).
Therefore, it is worth taking care of a minute of relaxation, so that stress does not take control of health.
The article was created in cooperation with Bausch + Lomb
Bibliography:
[1] Sajboth-Data K., Acute stress, chronic stress, 2016 (website navigation: https://www.mp.pl/patient/psychiatry/interviews/146636,stress-acute-stress-prolonged (accessed 12.02.2024)).
[2] Stachovich M., Afty. Stress and reduced immunity of the body. How to Cope?, 2022 (website: https://www.infodent24.pl/techdentpost/afty-stress-i-low-resistance-organism-how-to-resistance,121233.html (accessed 12.02.2024)).
[3] Falkowski M. and others, Oxidation stress in the mouth – causes and consequences, the holistic dimension of modern medicine. T. 1. Collective work, 2015: 923-934.
[4] Charniuk A., Symptoms of stress seen in the mouth, 2018 (website: https://pulsmedicine.pl/symptoms-stress-visible-in-jame-oral-930959 (accessed 12.02.2024)).
