10 Startling Symptoms of Stress
Stress can have wide ranging effects not just mentally but also physically. Mentally it can have a considerable negative effect on emotions, mood and behavior. Equally important but often less appreciated are effects on various systems, organs and tissues all over the body.
While a little bit of stress can safely stretch you to put in more effort in both your personal and professional life; being stressed all the time or feeling significant and regular bouts of stress is detrimental to your health.
The common emotional and mental symptoms of stress are panic attacks and headaches. However, it is important to be aware of and consider the lesser-known symptoms; the possible connection to stress and to be on the lookout for these ten startling symptoms of stress.
1. Weird and Recurring Dreams
Vivid and bizarre dreams or experiencing the same dreams night after night, could be sign of stress. Whether you enjoy or easily tolerate weird dreams, it’s important to examine any potential reasons behind them.
Recurring dreams can take a toll on you mentally, particularly if they’re upsetting. Bizarre dreams can tire you and put you on edge; ultimately impacting other areas of your life such as work and family. If you’ve started dreaming a lot, and if they’re bizarre and / or recurring dreams, take stock of any life changes or additional stress to see if there’s a trigger.
2. Jaw and Tooth Pain
Check if you are experiencing sore teeth, gums or an aching jaw. You may downplay the stress in your life however your subconscious might not keep stress at the back of your mind and once you are asleep (given you cannot help what your body does), you may be grinding your teeth.
It’s common to “grind the stress out”, potentially causing permanent damage to your teeth, and having sore jaw. You may also be doing this during the day but not noticing due to the stress. So try to analyze how your body is reacting to stress, and if you’re tensing up or clenching your jaw.
3. Hair Loss and Changes
Hair loss has been attributed to stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can put your hair follicles into a resting stage, causing those strands of hair to fall out a few months later.
The good news is, your hair might not be lost forever if you gain control of your stress. On top of hair loss, it’s not uncommon to see a new grouping of gray hairs when you’re mentally unstable.
4. Stomach Aches and Intestinal Problems
Your emotional and mental state, specifically your level of stress, can flow through to how your stomach feels, your digestion and intestines. You may simply feel butterflies and an uneasiness in your stomach, but you could also experience more serious issues, like constant stomachaches, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcers and food allergies. Getting out and exercising will not only assist with your mental state but also your stomach.
5. Twitching
According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can cause eyelid spasms. While twitching isn’t painful, it can be distracting and annoying which could last just a few minutes or carry on for several months.
If you suffer from eye spasms and twitching, track when you experience it – you may see a pattern that aligns with your stress level. The good news is that by properly managing your stress you should be able to completely stop it.
6. Acne
Whether you typically have no acne, mild acne, or severe acne, stress can make it a lot worse and for breakouts to occur regularly. Stress causes inflammation and oily pores which in turn can trigger acne in adults.
If you’ve tried acne creams, cutting out certain foods, and other acne cures, yet still breaking out at random times – it could be linked to an unhealthy amount of stress and needs to be addressed.
7. Regular Illness
Regular illness is a big indicator that you have an unhealthy level of stress in your life. Whilst its common to have a cold or virus occasionally, if you are sick all the time and catching every virus that you encounter, stress may be the cause. Getting sick prior to an important life event such as a big presentation at work that could gain you a promotion, could likely be caused by stress.
Stress lowers your immune system, making you more susceptible to getting sick. Getting the recommended number of vitamins, nutrients and regular exercise will help prevent and combat illnesses, however a very high stress level will lower your immune system, making it important to manage your stress.
8. Irregular Periods and Severe Cramps
Monthly periods, complete with cramping, cravings and hormonal changes, can already be unpleasant and inconvenient. But if you’re stressed, your period can become even more than just a hassle, with severe cramps keeping you bedridden, and irregularity that keeps you paranoid and guessing as to when your cycle is going to come.
Stress can even cause your period to completely stop, a condition called secondary amenorrhea. The imbalance of hormones when you’re stressed is unhealthy for your body, and could even cause infertility problems. Again, exercise is a great option to help ease the pain and reduce some of your stress.
9. Itchy Skin and Rashes
If your skin is moisturized and you’re still constantly scratching it, or if eczema that you got under control years ago, comes back more severely, it could be a symptom of stress. Feeling anxious or wound up tight can make you feel itchy, and if it goes on indefinitely, you’re likely to feel even more stressed because of it.
Rashes are a common reaction to stress because stress lowers your immune system, making you more susceptible to skin infections or irritants that aren’t usually a problem for you. When stress and/or hive rashes occur it is like having an allergic reaction to stress.
10. Abdominal Fat
Blasting that dreaded belly fat through exercise and healthy living, is hard enough yet stress can add to this difficulty. Chronic stress can cause abdominal fat and make it extremely difficult or impossible to trim it down and get rid of it – unless you decrease and manage your stress better.
When you’re stressed out, your body tries to protect itself by releasing adrenaline and cortisol, making you feel hungry. And the hunger and cravings are often for carbs and fat, which head straight to your waistline. It also causes loss of muscle mass, adding to your soft belly.
While a little bit of stress can safely stretch you to put in more effort in both your personal and professional life; being stressed all the time or feeling significant and regular bouts of stress is detrimental to your health.
The common emotional and mental symptoms of stress are panic attacks and headaches. However, it is important to be aware of and consider the lesser-known symptoms; the possible connection to stress and to be on the lookout for these ten startling symptoms of stress.
1. Weird and Recurring Dreams
Vivid and bizarre dreams or experiencing the same dreams night after night, could be sign of stress. Whether you enjoy or easily tolerate weird dreams, it’s important to examine any potential reasons behind them.
Recurring dreams can take a toll on you mentally, particularly if they’re upsetting. Bizarre dreams can tire you and put you on edge; ultimately impacting other areas of your life such as work and family. If you’ve started dreaming a lot, and if they’re bizarre and / or recurring dreams, take stock of any life changes or additional stress to see if there’s a trigger.
2. Jaw and Tooth Pain
Check if you are experiencing sore teeth, gums or an aching jaw. You may downplay the stress in your life however your subconscious might not keep stress at the back of your mind and once you are asleep (given you cannot help what your body does), you may be grinding your teeth.
It’s common to “grind the stress out”, potentially causing permanent damage to your teeth, and having sore jaw. You may also be doing this during the day but not noticing due to the stress. So try to analyze how your body is reacting to stress, and if you’re tensing up or clenching your jaw.
3. Hair Loss and Changes
Hair loss has been attributed to stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can put your hair follicles into a resting stage, causing those strands of hair to fall out a few months later.
The good news is, your hair might not be lost forever if you gain control of your stress. On top of hair loss, it’s not uncommon to see a new grouping of gray hairs when you’re mentally unstable.
4. Stomach Aches and Intestinal Problems
Your emotional and mental state, specifically your level of stress, can flow through to how your stomach feels, your digestion and intestines. You may simply feel butterflies and an uneasiness in your stomach, but you could also experience more serious issues, like constant stomachaches, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcers and food allergies. Getting out and exercising will not only assist with your mental state but also your stomach.
5. Twitching
According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can cause eyelid spasms. While twitching isn’t painful, it can be distracting and annoying which could last just a few minutes or carry on for several months.
If you suffer from eye spasms and twitching, track when you experience it – you may see a pattern that aligns with your stress level. The good news is that by properly managing your stress you should be able to completely stop it.
6. Acne
Whether you typically have no acne, mild acne, or severe acne, stress can make it a lot worse and for breakouts to occur regularly. Stress causes inflammation and oily pores which in turn can trigger acne in adults.
If you’ve tried acne creams, cutting out certain foods, and other acne cures, yet still breaking out at random times – it could be linked to an unhealthy amount of stress and needs to be addressed.
7. Regular Illness
Regular illness is a big indicator that you have an unhealthy level of stress in your life. Whilst its common to have a cold or virus occasionally, if you are sick all the time and catching every virus that you encounter, stress may be the cause. Getting sick prior to an important life event such as a big presentation at work that could gain you a promotion, could likely be caused by stress.
Stress lowers your immune system, making you more susceptible to getting sick. Getting the recommended number of vitamins, nutrients and regular exercise will help prevent and combat illnesses, however a very high stress level will lower your immune system, making it important to manage your stress.
8. Irregular Periods and Severe Cramps
Monthly periods, complete with cramping, cravings and hormonal changes, can already be unpleasant and inconvenient. But if you’re stressed, your period can become even more than just a hassle, with severe cramps keeping you bedridden, and irregularity that keeps you paranoid and guessing as to when your cycle is going to come.
Stress can even cause your period to completely stop, a condition called secondary amenorrhea. The imbalance of hormones when you’re stressed is unhealthy for your body, and could even cause infertility problems. Again, exercise is a great option to help ease the pain and reduce some of your stress.
9. Itchy Skin and Rashes
If your skin is moisturized and you’re still constantly scratching it, or if eczema that you got under control years ago, comes back more severely, it could be a symptom of stress. Feeling anxious or wound up tight can make you feel itchy, and if it goes on indefinitely, you’re likely to feel even more stressed because of it.
Rashes are a common reaction to stress because stress lowers your immune system, making you more susceptible to skin infections or irritants that aren’t usually a problem for you. When stress and/or hive rashes occur it is like having an allergic reaction to stress.
10. Abdominal Fat
Blasting that dreaded belly fat through exercise and healthy living, is hard enough yet stress can add to this difficulty. Chronic stress can cause abdominal fat and make it extremely difficult or impossible to trim it down and get rid of it – unless you decrease and manage your stress better.
When you’re stressed out, your body tries to protect itself by releasing adrenaline and cortisol, making you feel hungry. And the hunger and cravings are often for carbs and fat, which head straight to your waistline. It also causes loss of muscle mass, adding to your soft belly.
More about Stress:
- 10 Startling Symptoms of Stress
- Stress vs anxiety: The Differences Explained
- Workplace Stressors and how to deal with them
- High Anxiety: Six Common Realities of Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
- Effective Relaxation Tips