If you are reading this, chances are you feeling stressed or you know someone who is. Don’t worry, we all feel this way at some point or the other and you could say it is one of the basic experiences of life. The real danger comes when you don’t even realize that you are even feeling any stress and consequently allow it to pile on and eventually reach really dangerous levels. Read through the following 8 tips to help you recognize the classic symptoms of stress:
- GIT effects- The Gastro-Intestinal Tract (GIT) consists of your stomach, kidneys, bladder, intestines and related organs. You can usually control, to a large extent, urination, flatulence and defecation but stress releases hormones which weaken control over these functions. That is why people who are stressed tend to experience frequent urination, belching, constipation, diarrhea and flatulence.
- CNS effects- The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord. The brain, being the chief control of the body is mainly affected by stress. Cortisols, which are stress hormones, inhibit the normal functioning of hormones that make people feel happy, aid in memory and learning, and other cognitive functions. This could result in insomnia, nightmares, difficulty concentrating and learning, frequent headaches, tremors, faintness, dizziness, constant tiredness and the feeling of being physically weak.
- Immune system- stress further weakens the body’s defense system and exposes a person to frequent viral and bacterial infections such as colds and herpes.
- Cardiovascular System (CVS) effects- Stress leads to high blood pressure and increased heart rate, all of which put your heart under a lot of pressure. As a result, it is common to experience heartburn, difficulty in breathing, panic attacks, angina, racing heart, and etc. If left unaddressed, these could lead to more serious conditions like hypertension, myocardial infarction or stroke.
- Reproductive health effects- in both males and females, stress can adversely affect sexual and reproductive behavior. In males, it may cause a decrease in progesterone production, and low libido. Females may also experience a reduction in sex hormones (estrogen), irregular menstrual cycle or amenorrhea, and even infertility!
- Anti-social behavior- People experiencing stress often resort to doing ‘whatever takes away the pain’. Frequently, this will include anti-social behavior such as taking illegal drugs and prescription pills, or excessive alcohol consumption.
- Compulsive behavior- it is also common for stressed people to become obsessive or/and compulsive. These are manifested in frequent buying, uncontrolled eating habits, use of abusive words without caring about who is around or not, and even stealing.
- Mood swings- Whether it is acute or chronic, mood swings are a hallmark of stress. Hostility, increased anger over little things, frustration, worry, guilt, anxiety, social withdrawal, abusiveness and etc, are all symptoms of excessive stress levels particularly when these symptoms are inconsistent with ones personality and behavior.
Have you experienced any or all of these? If you have, then there is a good chance you are under a lot more stress than is healthy for you. Try taking a break to clear your mind, but if these symptoms persist, then you should probably seek medical attention.