Stress could be ‘inflaming your brain’ with risk of Alzheimer’s Disease experts warn

Stress wreaks havoc on the body, but one lesser-known effect is the inflammation it causes in your brain. Chronic stress, and some surprising disorders like joint pain or gut issues, can fuel neuroinflammation, a reaction in the brain or spinal cord which can have a widespread effect on the brain’s functions.

It’s meant to be a protective response to shield and repair the brain when necessary, the issue comes in when the inflammation lasts for a while or becomes very intense. Neuroinflammation can be a common symptom of neurological and mood disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis among others, but could be a likely contributing factor too the development of the diseases according to News Medical.

Stress kickstarts neuroinflammation to protect the brain but chronic stress sees the reaction hanging around past its protective duties. This can also happen due to other factors like genetic mutations, infections, injuries to the central nervous system, autoimmune disorders, lifestyle factors and even certain drugs.

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Some of the top causes include viral infections affecting the central nervous system, chronic conditions like joint pain found in rheumatoid arthritis, or gut inflammation significantly contribute to the inflammation itself. Some autoimmune conditions and cancers, such as small cell lung cancer, also target the neural tissue which triggers the protective measure.

A variety of triggers can hinge largely on a person’s lifestyle, such as poor diet, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, sleep deprivation and stress can all contribute to inflammation. It can quickly become a downward spiral as neuroinflammation also worsens mental health conditions like depression and anxiety which further impairs brain function.

The level of impact neuroinflammation has largely depends on what triggered it, how long it lasts and how it progresses, with extreme cases even leading to cell death in the brain. With minimal treatment available for neuroinflammation, it’s vital people take responsibility over the factors they can control.

If left unchecked, neuroinflammation can cause tissue damage and contribute to irreversible issues. This includes the development of Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease and it’s also believed to play a role in the development of Parkinson’s.