Can Stress Cause Cancer? Here's What You Need to Know

What is Stress?

Stress is your physiological and psychological reaction to a happening or situation that seems like a threat or challenge. It directly affects our metabolism, immune system and memory, resulting in many health issues.

However, stress is not always bad; it can be essential for an individual’s survival. It can help an individual accomplish their goals and also help them avoid difficult situations. Although, taking too much stress can have a negative impact on your overall health. Over the years, it has been perceived that stress causes cancer, which is not exactly right, but stress can definitely be one of the underlying reasons that aggravates cancer.

What are the Types of Stress?

There are three types of stress. They are-

Acute Stress: Acute stress is something you experience in your day-to-day life, which could be due to any challenging situation, such as meeting deadlines or when you experience something fatal. It is, however, a short-term condition, and emotions return to normal state soon.

Episodic Acute Stress: This type of stress occurs when acute stress happens frequently because of consistent issues such as tight deadlines and intense stressful situations. It often leads to constant anxiety while you jump from one tight situation to another tight situation.

Chronic Stress: Although there are many causes of chronic stress, it can occur due to stress that has been continuing for a long time. This type of stress feels never-ending due to personal or professional issues. And one doesn’t find any way out to escape from this condition.

Relationship Between Stress and Cancer. There are many theories about the relationship between stress and cancer.

Let us take a look at some of the most important ones that you should know:

• The continuous response to stress and exposure to related hormones can lead to the growth of tumours.
• Chronic stress can cause inflammation that may lead to cancer
• Stress induces an individual to adopt unhealthy habits such as drinking alcohol, smoking, and taking excessive diet.

So, it is prudent that you address stress symptoms and work on getting better.

How to Reduce Stress?

Despite the fact whether stress causes cancer or not, it is needless to say that stress is harmful to your overall health. You must practice the following tips to secure your physical and mental health:

• Work on your relationships with your dear ones
• Exercise regularly
• Get enough sleep
• Make priorities for yourself to determine what needs to be done
• Try relaxation therapies such as meditation, yoga and deep breathing
• Do not indulge in unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking and eating too much
• Stay active

Get Cancer Insurance Plan

It is recommended to buy a cancer insurance plan as it offers the following benefits:

• This health insurance policy provides coverage irrespective of the stage of this disease or any form of cancer.
• It acts as financial aid as it covers the cost of the treatment.
• This health insurance policy is available at a low premium.

Conclusion

Stress is a feeling when an individual is not able to manage certain situations. If not managed, it can become chronic. There are different forms of stress, such as acute and chronic stress. Chronic stress can increase the risk of various ailments, such as depression and heart disorders. It is not clear that stress can cause cancer. However, it can be one of the factors that may develop into cancer.

In the past years, there has been a massive increase in the number of cancer patients, and so is the cost of medical expenses. Hence, it is advisable to opt for a cancer insurance plan. This helps you to reduce your financial burden as it covers all the stages of cancer. Fortunately, Care Health Insurance offers a Cancer Mediclaim-cancer insurance plan that offers coverage related to cancer. This plan also includes pre and post-hospitalization expenses as well as chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Opting for a cancer insurance plan gives you peace of mind and hope to fight this life-threatening disease.

>> Also Read: What Do the 5 Stages of Cancer Denote?

Disclaimer: The information given in this article is only for reference purposes. Underwriting of claims for Cancer is subject to policy terms and conditions.