Respiratory Distress
In addition, the body is triggered to speed up breathing to distribute more oxygen, more quickly, to the body. If you have respiratory issues, including asthma, COPD, or emphysema, stress can cause respiratory distress.
Digestive Disaster
When the body is stressed, the liver produces and releases surplus blood sugar to give the body the extra boost it needs to react to a dangerous situation. The unused glucose is then reabsorbed by the body. In short bursts, this system is efficient and helps you escape dangerous situations. When it happens on a regular basis, your body may not be able to handle all of the excess glucose, putting you at risk for developing Type II diabetes.
And from an evolutionary standpoint, during a fight-or-flight response, the body redirects energy from less important bodily systems (such as the digestive system) to those systems that are essential in helping you determine and execute an emergency response (the CNS and cardiovascular systems). Consider this -- you don’t need to worry about that partially digested meal if you’re focused on not becoming one yourself.
However, when these responses are triggered regularly, it can cause problems with digestion over time, leading to constipation, diarrhea, or even heartburn or vomiting.
Muscular System
When your body goes into stress mode, your muscles tense up to ready you for quick action and protect you from injury. While this is meant, again, as an evolutionary design to help us escape from danger, almost all of us can relate to the tight feeling we experience in our necks and shoulders when confronted with a stressful situation.