Anger might feel like just an emotion, but it goes beyond that; anger can actually cause harm to your health in many ways.
These are some reasons you should be wary of getting angry.
1. ANGER CAN WEAKEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
One study by researchers from Harvard University found that in healthy people, simply recalling an angry experience from their past caused a six-hour dip in levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A, the cells’ first line of defense against infection.
Getting angry all the time can make you fall sick.
2. ANGER INCREASES THE RISK OF STROKE
One research found there was three times higher risk of having a stroke from a blood clot to the brain or bleeding within the brain during the two hours after an angry outburst. Worst still, people with an aneurysm in one of the brain’s arteries had six times higher risk of rupturing this aneurysm following an angry outburst.
This makes anger even worse.
3. ANGER CAN LEAD TO ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Unresolved anger issues can lead to anxiety, which can have long-term effects on your life.
Dizziness, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle pain, muscle tension, headaches, and problems with concentration and memory are some immediate effects of anxiety. These symptoms could even make it difficult to perform routine tasks and can lead to depression.
4. COULD CAUSE HARM TO YOUR HEART HEALTH
Anger is a very dangerous emotion; it could ramp up your “fight or flight” response, and when this happens, stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol could speed up your heart rate and breathing. Your blood vessels could tighten and your blood pressure could soar.
5. IMPAIR JUDGEMENT
Anger could also impair judgement and make you do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do. During a bout of anger, the brain’s amygdala overreacts; blood rushes to the frontal lobe, the area in charge of reasoning, and this will prompt you to do something irrational.
6. STRESS
You stress your mind, your brain and your heart when you’re angry. Stress could then manifest itself through physical symptoms such as migraines, grinding teeth, light-headedness, nausea, exhaustion, heart palpitations, insomnia, and a decreased or increased appetite. Worse still, it could manifest itself through high blood pressure and loss of sleep.
7. DEPRESSION
Anger could lead to loneliness and then a long-term condition like depression, which is a risk factor for early death. One study found that loneliness could increase your risk of premature death by 14 percent.
Anger management is essential, and if you get angry unnecessarily, you are only causing more harm to your health.
S.O.Z