Almost everyone must have experienced stress and the symptoms of stress that appear are different. If left too long without treatment, stress can cause serious health problems. Therefore, recognize the various symptoms of stress to avoid the risk of disease that lurks.
Stress is a body reaction that occurs when a person faces certain threats, pressures, or changes. In a small capacity, stress can be a positive thing, for example making a person more alert to the dangers around him or an urge to quickly complete a task.
However, stress that is allowed to drag on can be bad for health. Therefore, it is important for you to be able to cope with stress so that it does not interfere with your daily activities or social life.
Some Signs and Symptoms of Stress
When you are stressed, your body reacts by releasing stress hormones. This can affect various aspects, including emotions, behavior, thinking abilities, and health conditions.
When experiencing symptoms of stress, a person will feel the following complaints:
- Mood swings, for example being often restless and moody
- Difficult to focus and concentrate
- Insecure, lonely and depressed
- Body feels stiff, easily achy, or painful
- Difficult to think positively or tend to look at things from the negative side
- Not enthusiastic or lack of energy
- Lack of appetite or overeating
- Likes to be alone and withdraws from social circles
- Insomnia
If your stress is long-lasting or chronic, your muscles will stiffen even when you're not experiencing anything. This condition puts the body at risk for various health problems.
Health Problems Caused by Stress
Stress that occurs occasionally and disappears after the trigger factor is resolved, is actually a normal and natural thing to happen. However, you need to be aware if the symptoms of stress you feel are frequent, it's not clear what the cause is, or if they have been going on for a long time.
If left unchecked, stress symptoms over time can make you more at risk for various health problems, such as:
1. Headaches and stiff muscles
When symptoms of stress appear, the muscles of the body will tighten and feel stiff. In addition, excessive stress can also often cause headaches. These complaints will usually improve on their own after you relax or are free from stress.
2. Hair loss
Stress can inhibit hair growth and cause hair to fall out faster. Normally, hair loss is about 100 strands per day. When stressed, hair loss can reach half or three quarters of the total hair. In fact, your hair can fall out just because it's combed or when you wash it.
3. Skin problems
When you are stressed, the stress hormones in your body will increase. These hormonal changes can make your skin tend to be more oily, so you are also prone to breakouts when experiencing symptoms of stress.
Not only that, stress can also cause the recurrence of symptoms of certain skin diseases, such as eczema, psoriasis, and psoriasis rosacea.
4. Difficulty sleeping
One of the symptoms of stress is difficulty sleeping or sleep that feels less sound. If you do, this over time can put you at risk for sleep disorders, such as insomnia.
As a result, you will often feel tired, have difficulty concentrating, and are at risk for various mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders.
5. Digestive disorders
Symptoms of stress often make a person experience changes in eating patterns, for example, becoming less appetite or even eating more. This can trigger problems with the digestive system, such as heartburn.
Not only that, stress can also affect the movement of the digestive tract and make a person often bloated, abdominal pain, to constipation.
6. Respiratory disorders
Symptoms of prolonged stress can make a person experience a decrease in endurance. This can make them susceptible to colds as well as coughs and colds. Not only that, asthmatics can also experience shortness of breath and cough, if they are often stressed.
7. Chronic disease
Prolonged stress can make the body often experience inflammation. This is known to increase the risk of various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
now, now you know, right, what are the dangers of stress symptoms if allowed to drag on? Therefore, do various ways to deal with stress, such as getting enough rest, doing activities you like, exercising regularly, or doing meditation. You can also try to take advantage of chocolate consumption to reduce stress.
If you often feel stressed and find it difficult to cope, you should consult a doctor, especially if you have a history or are suffering from certain health problems. This is done so that the doctor can provide the right treatment for your condition.