Symptoms Of Stress

Common physical symptoms include tense muscles, fatigue, tension headaches, and migraine headaches.When you experience stress, your muscles may react by tensing.If these muscles do not have the time and opportunity to relax, the tension will continue to build and escalate into symptoms such as lower back pain, tension headaches, and fatigue.Unlike tension headaches, migraine headaches occur after the stress is over and as you are beginning to relax.The blood vessels that were constricted, or tensed, under stress then over-dilate and cause a reaction that contributes to the pain and nausea of a migraine headache.

Other common physical symptoms that everyone should be aware of are:frequent illnesses, increased heart rate or blood pressure, and upset stomach.Your bodies' natural defenses are weakened by stress, increasing your susceptibility to illness.If you find yourself getting sick more frequently, it could be the result of an immune system depressed by stress.In addition to increasing your susceptibility to minor illnesses like colds or flu, long-term stress can potentially lead to more serious health problems and diseases.For example, an increased heart rate or the development of high blood pressure may occur and increase your risk of heart disease.In some people, stress causes the production of extra stomach acid, which can lead to ulcers. Other serious conditions, from cancer to depression, have also been linked to stress.Stress is also a factor that makes symptoms of existing medical conditions worse and delays healing.

Excessive stress is increasingly becoming a concern for many.From minor to serious, excessive stress affects a variety of people of both genders and every age group.Stress has been linked to painful menstrual periods for women, bullying can lead to stress in elementary schools, and police officers and others with high-pressure jobs often suffer from stress.People exposed to war or violence, victims of child abuse, or individuals who have experienced other extreme psychological stresses often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, exhibit dramatic symptoms, and require serious treatment.

Although it often manifests into physical symptoms, stress also adversely affects your sense of well-being and results in mental and emotional problems.Some reactions to stress that are more psychological are insomnia, anxiety, and depression.Your sleep pattern could be altered or you could suffer from disturbed sleep, resulting in fatigue.Constant worry can keep you awake and contribute to anxiety and depression.You may also experience a variety of related symptoms like irritability, negative thinking, changes in appetite or sexual desire, and difficulty concentrating.

If you have some of the symptoms described above, they could be indicating that you suffer from excessive stress.Stress is not usually a very serious or life-threatening problem, but finding positive ways to eliminate or relieve stress will alleviate your symptoms, prevent them from progressing, and contribute to your overall health and wellness.