What Happens to Your Body When You Fall in Love

Generally, people strive for companionship and affection in their lives. For example, in 2020, 64% of women worldwide were cohabited or married, but how many of them actually know how love affects them? After you fall for another person, everything from your mood to your life goals can be turned head over heels by your loved one. And some of these changes would remain unnoticed if not for the curiosity of researchers.

We at Bright Side are sure that love is always in the air, so we were eager to know about the effects that it has on your body.

1. Your brain produces dopamine (causing euphoria).

When thinking about your loved one, your body produces a hormone that is responsible for the feeling of happiness (dopamine). You can feel the same boost when you do something that you enjoy like eating delicious food or listening to your favorite music.

Scientists believe that the fact that we get rewarded for love with the feeling of happiness plays an important role in our mating, so humankind doesn’t go extinct.

2. Love lowers our blood pressure.

Statistics say that almost every other adult in the US suffers from high blood pressure, so that’s more good news for those who have their ’happily ever after’ — relationships can help to reduce blood pressure. Something as simple as a quick chat before leaving for work or having dinner together makes a big difference. But be careful, this won’t be enough to completely solve your problem. You still need to discuss it with your doctor.

3. Your pain tolerance might increase.

Scientists have found out that when we’re looking at our significant other, our brain triggers a mechanism that reduces the feeling of pain. Although just looking at a picture of our romantic partner won’t be as powerful as anesthesia, it’s still a nice bonus to know that just the thought of you will make your loved one feel better.

4. Your physical health is likely to improve.

There are so many ways that your physical health can positively react to finding your soulmate that researchers are still enlightening us with new discoveries — and some of these things have already been proven. We already know that love leads to a healthier heart, a stronger immune system, weight loss, and an even longer life — making the promise “’til death do us part” even more of a commitment.

5. It might strengthen your bones.

A study indicated that men who are in a supportive relationship have stronger bones. This fact left scientists wondering whether it’s a natural reaction, or whether it’s just the fact that men in relationships take better care of their health and have a better diet.

Even though the reason is unknown, the fact remains that your partner might have stronger bones because of you. And who knows how many other positive effects you have on your partner that scientists will eventually discover.

6. You can experience stomach issues.

The phrase “butterflies in your stomach” is actually true to some extent. Even though love is a great feeling, sometimes it causes your cortisol levels to increase. Cortisol is a hormone that is often associated with stress. It can make your stomach upset and make you feel nauseous. The feeling is similar to what brides experience on their wedding day, when they get nervous to the point that they feel sick.

7. Your partner might give you chronic pain.

Everyone feels down at some point in their life. But when it happens to your partner and they are suffering from depression, there’s a 19% higher chance that you’ll experience chronic pain. No wonder up to 70% of adults suffer from lower back pain.

8. Unrequited love could make you ill.

If a relationship doesn’t go as planned, you’re likely to suffer from sleepless nights, body stress, and a lack of nutrients, which can weaken the immune system and put you at risk of getting sick. So it’s not just regret that you experience when things don’t go as planned, your body will physically suffer too.

Have you experienced any of these things? What effect does love have on your body?