All You Need To Know About Stress : Issues and Symptoms

• You always feel sick
  As mentioned earlier, our body secretes a high amount of cortisol and other hormones in response to stress. This is meant to help us cope better. However, with constant stress, these chemical levels become low, resulting in you being prone to sickness. Also, stress contributes to poor wound healing, and increased susceptibility to viruses.
• Difficulty concentrating
  When you cannot remember simple things like where you kept your files at work, this is a sign of stress. In the long run, you are prone to diseases such as Alzheimer’s according to research.
• Constant and persistent headaches
  Constant stress leads to tension or stress headaches, which you experience around your head or temples. If this headache is strange, feels like you are having a migraine, or wakes you at night, you need to reduce your stress levels and visit your doctor.
• Constant pain at you back or neck
  Overwork or a personal problem can lead to aches at the back, neck or even legs. This is because stress causes muscle tightness and spasms.
• You cannot sleep even when you are very tired
  Staying awake to go over things in your head is a sign of stress induced anxiety. Also, having a hard time falling asleep even when you are very tired, means you are suffering from stress induced fatigue.
• Your hair is starting to fall out
  If you wake up every day to find some strands of hair on your pillow, it is likely that your body is attacking its hair follicles. This can be a result of severe stress.
• Your sex life is suffering
  A lot of men are unaware that stress is one of the major causes of erectile dysfunction. This leads to a poor sex life, and may affect your marriage or relationship eventually.

• it lasts, despite rest and good night’s sleep;
• it has no apparent cause;
• it is more intense in the morning than in the evening;
• it is accompanied by discouragement and which prevents enjoyment of what we previously loved.

• Muscle or general body aches and pains,
• Stomach upsets, such as diarrhea or constipation,
• Feeling nauseous and dizzy,
• Pin on the chest pain and increased heart rate,
• Low libido,
• Recurrent colds, flu and infections,
• Decreased energy levels,
• Constant headaches,
• Difficulty falling asleep,
• Nervousness and trembling, tinnitus, sweaty hands and feet,
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing,

• Psychological problems such as depression, anxiety and personality conditions.
• Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, hypertension, irregular heartbeat, and even cebrovascular accidents (stroke)
• Increased weight gain and binge eating
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction in men and loss of sexual appetite in both men and women
• Skin conditions such acne, psoriasis, and eczema, and long-lasting hair loss
• Gastrointestinal problems, such as Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and irritable colon

• Stress headaches
  As we have discussed so far, stress results in tension or stress headaches, likely resulting from insomnia and increased pressure to the brain.
• Stress ulcers
  Conditions like ulcer are one of the results of the many gastrointestinal issues that results from stress. The body increases the secretion of stomach acids that eat away the lining of the stomach, resulting in ulcers.
• Can stress cause hives?
  The skin is also susceptible to the inflammatory reactions that go on in the body in response to stress. This can eventually result in hives or urticaria.
• Can stress make you sick?
  Stress reduces your body’s ability to defend itself from infections and other dangerous things that would it would normally protect you against. This results in constant flu and other infections

A diagnosis of PTSD made if a person experiences the following symptoms for not less than a month after a traumatic experience. PTSD is described by three major symptoms:

• Listen to music
  Music has a way of taking your mind off a stressful situation. Therefore, listen to calm music or your favorite songs when under stress. Soft music can lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol.
• Tell your problems to a friend
  When you are undergoing stressful situations, call a close friend or family member let your feelings out. Such good relationships are not only part of a healthy lifestyle, but they can help you focus better.
• Talk yourself through the issue
  Since it may not always be realistic to call a friend or loved one, you have to learn to speak to yourself about what you are going through at the moment. Tell yourself why you are stressed, what you can do to finish the job at hand, and reassure yourself that all is well.
• Eat the right food
  Avoid sugary food. Rather take a lot of fruits, vegetables and fish. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish have been proven to relieve the symptoms of stress. For example, tuna sandwich is acclaimed to be brain food.
• Laugh it off
  Laughter is the food of the mind. It releases endorphins, which enhances your mood and decrease levels of cortisol and adrenaline (which causes stress).
• Drink tea
  Instead of coffee, take green tea. It contains antioxidants and other substances that soothe your nerves such as theanine.
• Other ways of relieving stress include meditation, regular exercise, getting better sleep, and practicing deep breathing exercises.

• Identify the habits and behaviors that cause you to be stressed-out, such as procratination.
• Replace poor coping habits such as smoking and drinking with healthy ones.
• Start regular physical activity.
• Go out and build positive relationships with others.
• Create time to engage in fun and leisure activities.
• Continue maintaining a healthy lifestyle of eating balanced diet, exercising, reducing sugar and caffeine and getting enough sleep.

• Writing down the things causing you to be stressed-out can be helpful. Also record how much stress you are going through. This will help you know what is causing your stress and by how much, so you can find solutions.
• Speak with friends and loved ones about how you are feeling. Don’t bottle up your feeling.
• Make out time to engage in activities you enjoy. This can help you relax.
• Don’t worry about what the future holds, but focus on the present.
• Meditation helps you concentrate on important things, which can help reduce your stress. Practicing deep breathing exercises while at it will help you relax. During meditation, use guided imagery and pictures yourself in an environment that will help you feel relaxed and calm.
• Stretch while you are exercising, this will help relieve muscle tension.
• Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong can help you achieve calmness, because they combine exercise and relaxation. You can learn about these in books, videos, or by hiring a trainer.
• Deep breathing exercises such as roll breathing can help circulate oxygen and blood around your body, leaving you feeling relaxed.
• Practice progressive muscle relaxation, by relaxing individual muscle groups, one after the other.
• Other means of managing stress include massage or music therapy.
• It is also possible and advisable to practice a combination of these stress management techniques for better outcomes.