According to an Associated Press-AOL poll people who have extreme debt are more likely to have health issues, ranging from minor muscle tension and sleeping problems to severe depression and even heart attacks.

In one example, a 38 year old man attributed his ulcers and his wife’s panic attacks to the constant worrying of how to make the next payment on their $10,000 worth of debt.

The consultant to analyzed the survey data said that as much as 10 to 16 million people may have negative health issues associated with their debts.

This is not surprising considering that medical research has consistently shown the relationship of chronic stress to a wide range of health problems.

Following are some comparative statistics from the people who claimed to have stress due to their debt:

ulcers or digestive problems – high stress 27 percent, low stress 8 percent

headaches and migraines – high stress 44 percent, low stress 15 percent

severe anxiety – high stress 29 percent, low stress 4 percent

severe depression – high stress 23 percent, low stress 4 percent

heart attacks – high stress 6 percent, low stress 3 percent

muscle tension – high stress 51 percent, low debt stress 31 percent

High stress also affected the concentration and sleep patterns of the people who took the survey. They also reported that they were more likely to get upset for no reason.

Although it cannot be said for certain whether the health problems are a direct result of the stresses from financial problems, the medical research seems to indicate that the symptoms reported from the people who took the poll are typical of chronic stress sufferers.

When a person is under stress, the body releases adrenaline and cortisol which helps a person to react quickly. However, if the period of stress is prolonged then the adrenaline and cortisol
can cause problems with blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, and the immune system.