Stress... it's a word we're sure all of you have heard, and not only - experienced.
The short but very meaningful noun is often associated with many negative emotions, feelings and states of mind, which unfortunately underlie many health problems.
We are aware that sooner or later every person is confronted with some situations and difficulties that in one way or another lead to the accumulation of stress.
In this article, we'll look at 11 common signs and symptoms that may tell you that you're under a lot of stress and need to pay attention to your mental and physical health. These conclusions have been reached after conducting a number of different studies regarding the effects of stress on the body.
Acne is one of the most visible signs of excessive exposure to stress carriers.
The reason for this is the fact that when a person is under stress, he touches his face more often. This leads to the spread of bacteria and can contribute to the development of acne.
One of the many studies examining the effects of stress on the body shows a significantly higher percentage of people complaining of acne at the end of an exam session than they were at the beginning of the session.In addition to stress, other potential causes of acne include hormonal changes, various bacteria, excess production of skin sebum, and clogged pores.
Many studies have found that stress can contribute to the onset of headaches, in which pain can be localized in the head as well as in the neck and shoulders.
In one study of 267 people with chronic headaches, 45% of the subjects noted that headaches were triggered at times of intense stress.
Of course stress may be just one of the causes of headaches, others being lack of sleep, alcohol consumption and dehydration.
We don't want to claim that stress directly causes chronic pain , but we do want to point out that it is one of the factors that contributes to the exacerbation of these chronic pains.
The results of several studies have shown that high levels of stress contribute to increased release of the hormone cortisol, which is associated with chronic pain.
It should be noted that these studies only examined the impact of stress, without taking into account other factors that also influence pain, including age, trauma, faulty body posture, neurological impairment, etc. Based on the latter, we cannot say with certainty that stress, alone as a factor, can cause chronic pain, but rather is one of several causes.
If you feel like you're constantly battling some kind of cold, runny nose, fatigue, the cause may be related to an excessive amount of stress. You must be wondering how stress and tension can make you sick.
A number of studies have been conducted on the subject of whether stress affects immunity, and all conclude that the effect on immunity is adverse. Again, we note that most of the studies have only looked at the effect of stress, without reflecting other factors that affect the body.
One of the studies covered 235 elderly people who were divided into two groups, which were high and low stress groups. The study was conducted over a period of 6 months and the following results were noted: people in the high stress group experienced 70% more respiratory infections and had approximately 61% more days in which they experienced the symptoms compared to the low stress group.
However, stress is only part of the puzzle when it comes to immune health. A weakened immune system can also result from a poor diet, reduced physical activity, and certain immunodeficiency disorders.
Chronic fatigue and lack of energy may also be due to the effects of prolonged stress.
For example, a study involving 2,483 people found that fatigue was directly related to daily stress levels. It has also been reported that people who are exposed to higher levels of stress during daily life complain of sleep problems.
Many studies have been conducted on this topic, led by psychologists and physicians, to determine whether stress can negatively affect the desire for intimate contact.
A study of 103 women found that higher levels of stress were associated with lower levels of sexual activity and satisfaction.
Similarly, one study looked at 339 medical students. It reported that high stress levels negatively affected sexual desire, arousal and satisfaction in a large percentage of those studied.
There are many other potential causes that can negatively affect libido- hormonal changes, prolonged fatigue, psychological causes, and more.
Digestive problems such as diarrhea and constipation can also be caused by high stress levels.
For example, one study looked at 2,699 children and found that exposure to stressful events was associated with an increased risk of constipation.
Stress can particularly affect those with digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. These are characterised by stomach pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.
Furthermore, an analysis of 18 studies that examined the role of stress on inflammatory bowel disease noted that 72% of the studies found a link between stress and digestive symptoms.
Although these studies show a link, more research is needed to understand how stress can directly affect the digestive system.
Also keep in mind that many other factors can cause digestive problems, such as diet, dehydration, physical activity levels, infection, or certain medications.
Appetite changes are common during periods of higher stress levels.
Of course each person perceives stress differently, some may feel no appetite and eat nothing all day, while others will seek solace in the fridge.
One study, which covered students from different majors at a university, showed that 81% of students surveyed reported a change in appetite during the exam session. Of these, 62% experienced an increase in appetite, while the remaining 38 experienced a decrease or loss of appetite.
Following this line of thought, we should also note that stress can affect weight, with a corresponding decrease or increase, in a given period of prolonged tension.
It should be noted that there are other factors that can lead to a change in appetite such as: taking certain medications, hormonal changes, psychological state in others.
Often, the cause of a depressive state is noted as a moment when a person experienced severe stress.
One study proves that high stress levels are accompanied by a higher percentage of depressive states. The study involved 240 elderly people.
A rapid pulse can also be a symptom signaling high stress levels.
One study measured heart rate reactivity in response to stressful and non-stressful events, finding that rates were significantly higher during stressful conditions.
Another study asked 87 students to perform a stressful task and the goal was to track changes in heart rate and blood pressure. It was found that all the children showed an increase in both the parameters. Interestingly, however, when the study was repeated, but this time with relaxing music included, the change in the indicators was not as significant.
Of course, an accelerated pulse rate is not only due to stress, it can be observed in a number of cases- with high blood pressure, thyroid problems, some heart diseases, and the use of caffeinated or alcoholic beverages.
When sweat starts pouring out of you, you are usually in a warm place, and sweating is your body's reaction in an attempt to cool down. However, have you ever suddenly broken out in a sweat, even if you're not warm, and say you're waiting to get into an important meeting. In these cases, your sweating is due to tension or stress, and this sweat is different from ordinary sweat.
In normal sweating, the "thermostat" in your head sends signals to your body and more specifically to some specific glands called eccrine (sweat) glands. These glands are located all over the body and release sweat, which is 90% water. In these cases, sweating usually starts slowly and gradually builds up.
Stress comes from nervous agitation, and in these cases sweating begins suddenly. When something surprises or scares you, so-called stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) are released in your body. These hormones make your pulse beat faster and your eccrine glands activate, but here the action of other glands is also stimulated- the apocrine glands. The latter are localized under the armpits and in the groin area. The sweat secreted by these glands contains 80% water and 20% fat and protein, which also results in a more unpleasant odour than ordinary sweat.
As a conclusion, we can say that stress is something common and every person will face it at one point or another in their life.
It can have a negative impact on health and has a wide range of symptoms, including reducing energy levels and causing headaches or chronic pain.
Fortunately, there are many ways you can help yourself reduce stress and tension. You could try some physical activity, sport or yoga. You should try different options to find the right anti-stress activity for you.
