Give me the symptoms of stress

Stress can affect our health without us being aware of it. Very often, we interpret stress symptoms – such as headaches, upset stomach, or high blood pressure – as illness. We all react differently to stress, but luckily, there are some common effects that can help us recognize it. Whether it is uncontrollable shaking, hyperventilating, asthma attacks, chest pain or indigestion, we should always pay attention to what our bodies tell us. Recognizing stress symptoms is the first step in managing stress. 

Symptoms of stress can be found both on our bodies and on our thoughts and feelings. The most common physical symptoms of stress are excessive tiredness, skin problems, heart palpitations and increased pain from arthritis and other conditions. Aches and pains resulting from tense muscles, including neck ache, backache and tension aches add to these symptoms, as well as missed periods for women. Behavioral stress symptoms include periods of irritability or anger, apathy or depression, lack of concentration, loss of sex drive, irrational behavior, and anxiety. The loss of appetite, comfort eating, increased smoking, drinking or recreational drug – taking often indicates high levels of stress.

All these symptoms are interrelated. A symptom of stress on our body will influence both our thoughts and our behavior. Headaches, grinding teeth and clenched jaws translate to anxiety, anger and mood swings. When this happens, we often overeat or loose our appetite. All these things can lead to changes in close relationships or to job dissatisfaction. Muscular aches, such as back, and neck pain can cause sadness. As a result, it is very likely to throw crying spells. Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or early waking is all signs of insomnia. It is caused by tense muscles, increased heart and breathing rate

Chest pains, pounding heart and shortness of breath make us feel restless, irritated, depressed. We often worry too much. As a response to that, we have an extremely decreased anger control, which is marked by sudden outbursts with little or no provocation. An increase in the use of alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes is very likely to occur. However, drinking or smoking to escape problems creates more problems. Danger signals are needing a drink, drinking from the bottle, drinking first thing in the morning, drinking every day or at a set hour and blacking out.

The feelings of guilt and resentment can often translate to physical reactions such as insomnia and fatigue. Diminished sex drive can be related to that as well. Increased perspiration, which can often cause cold, sweaty hands and tight and dry throat, can be perceived as symptoms of stress. They trigger feelings such as resentment or insecurity. Social interactions are affected because our productivity is often decreased. Productivity may also be decreased by confusion and the lack of concentration, which are effects of stress – related indigestion, constipation, and diarrhea. As well as that, stomach cramping and bloating are also symptoms of stress, often causing forgetfulness and irritability. A very important issue is fetal stress. Medical research has shown that prenatal stress is very likely to influence the development of brain in fetus. Stress affects many systems in the body, and that is why it is strongly believed that it could cause defects in the fetus. This is a very good reason for pregnant women to pay even more attention to stress symptoms that may occur.