Is the economy affecting your health?

It’s no secret that the last two years have been rough for a lot of people. Financially. Personally. Professionally. New evidence, however, is suggesting that the stresses of the economic climate are having an adverse effect on people's health—and in some ways that might not seem all that obvious to begin with.

Pity, for example, the small business owner: a study by management consulting outfit George S May International found that 52 percent of those it polled reported experiencing negative health effects—both physically and mentally—as a result of the recession.

Unfortunately, the survey doesn't go into details about the types of physical or mental effects the recession has made us prone to, but here's one I didn't expect: it's ruining our teeth. No, really. While we might be cutting out soda in favor of tap water, economic stress has been linked to an increase in incidences of teeth grinding. The worst part: tooth-grinding is a subconscious act that usually occurs when you're asleep, so you might not even be aware that you're doing it. Telltale signs, according to the AP, include "headaches, jaw soreness and earaches. Severe grinding can also cause chipping and wear down the teeth."

What's worse is that nobody has it easy: people with jobs are likely working harder than ever before, while those who have lost them haven't been set off on a path of carefree wandering either.

So let us know: has the economy affected your health? If so, how? Leave a comment in the field below, or post a comment on Twitter.

--Posted by Phil Stott, Vault.com