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Many of us aspire to enter into a meaningful, long-term relationship, forging a real connection with someone who becomes our 'significant other.' Whether we meet this person through discovering a compatible match on a dating site, or we click with another single we bump into in a social setting, each date can bring a sense of excitement and optimism. But even the most contented relationship carries certain risks. Although they might not be immediately apparent, here are five ways your relationship can harm your health according to locals relationship experts.
Coronary disease
People in a relationship often have to deal with anxiety. You might find yourself worrying about a partner when they are going through troubled times, or fretting if you have said or done something that might have inadvertently upset them. Any normal relationship is bound to have moments of tension or friction when the individuals fall out. Even if you find yourself making up again relatively quickly, the damage to your health will already have been done. If you are constantly living on the edge then this could have a longer-term effect on your blood pressure, leading to heart problems.
Another factor that has a direct correlation with heart disease is increased blood pressure. There are common feelings associated with being in a contented relationship, that sensation of feeling your pulse quickening when you embark on dates with someone special for the first time. Romantic literature and songs are awash with references to racing pulses and beating hearts. But the science behind these emotions is more complicated. When your body releases natural hormones, these can have a significant effect on your blood pressure. Hormonal rushes might feel good, but they can be linked to hypertension, or high blood pressure, a condition that will affect one in four of adults. There’s a good reason your doctor will routinely take your blood pressure, even when you have arranged a consultation for something else. Hypertension increases your risk of a stroke, coronary artery disease or heart failure.
Mental health
As well as the physical side of experiencing periods of stress, there can be an equally detrimental effect on your mental health. Even in any relationship that is healthy and hassle-free on the surface, there can be underlying problems that will impact the mental wellbeing of one or other of the individuals involved. In situations where someone is going through a personal crisis, it is common for them to mask this reality for fear of upsetting their other half. But the longer any mental health issue goes undiagnosed or unacknowledged, the worse it will grow.
Another unfortunate aspect of mental health is that the symptoms can lead to a ‘Catch 22’ situation. If the subject is attempting to put on a brave face – they are in denial – there is a potential for their partner to misread the signs. It is inevitable that there will be cracks in the person’s attempts to soldier on, but this could make their behaviour seem more erratic. Their partner might jump to conclusions, leading to friction in their relationship, leading to confrontation and arguments leaving the sufferer even more alienated.
Weight gain
In any partnership contentment might seem like a logical way of describing what you have built together. But if you are spending a lot of time contentedly cozying together on the couch, relaxing and watching popular films on Netflix, there is every chance you'll also be tucking into a succession of snacks. Rather than going out to get a lot of exercise, people who are happy together can become lazy together. This can lead to weight gain, and loving couples going through the same situation will be less likely to consider it an issue. But becoming overweight carries significant health risks, including heart conditions, diabetes, and cancer.
Sleepless nights
It is one thing to get used to sharing a bed with someone who has become a special person in your life, but health problems can still arise in these blissful situations. It is only natural for people to toss and turn in their sleep, dragging the covers with them. But the greatest problem that will arise will be that involuntary sound reverberating through bedroom walls up and down the country: snoring. This can condemn the non-snorer to many fretful hours.
There is also the social aspect of retiring to the bedroom - these days we are often likely to bring our smart devices with us. The excuse might be the alarm needing to be set, but there will always be a temptation to stare into those alluring screens for even longer, as if you haven’t had enough of a fix during the daylight hours. As a couple, you might end up getting engrossed in watching videos or enjoying games together, activities that are not conducive with a restful sleep. Sleep deprivation can be a key cause of anxiety, and has the potential to cause memory loss and concentration issues the following day. When you aren’t able to give things complete focus, this might lead to accidents.
The fallout of partying
Couples in a healthy relationship often enjoy socializing together. A lot of socializing. Their leisure time might revolve around regular visits to their favorite bar or nightclub, or spending the weekends trying out various restaurants to enjoy sumptuous dishes washed down by complimentary wine. The problem with all this good living is that it can lead to health issues. Drinking too much regularly has a high risk of leading to alcohol dependency.
When both parties are involved in this potentially self-destructive activity, there will be less likelihood that either of them will be able to view this objectively. If neither is able to step back and assess matters from a position of sobriety, the partying might well just continue. There are also numerous health issues associated with this type of addiction, with many potentially fatal diseases directly linked to alcohol abuse, such as bowel, liver, mouth, and breast cancer.