Stress Symptoms

Stress—especially chronic stress—uses a lot of your energy and it can cause multiple bodily systems to malfunction because your body is spending so much energy dealing with the stress. Below are common symptoms that people experience as a result of chronic stress. 

Change in appetite

When a person is especially stressed out, it is not uncommon for them to go to one of two extremes: They either eat very little or snack way more than they usually do, The latter is called emotional eating, which occurs when you turn to food in the face of an emotional problem. On the other hand, if you have a hard time eating when you are stressed out, it could be because your digestive system—under the weight of the stress you are experiencing—has slowed down, when stress robs your bodily systems of energy. 

Irritability

Behaviorally, one of the first things you notice is irritability when you are stressed. 

Heart problems

According to the American Heart Association, stress can impact factors that increase your risk for heart disease. Specifically, it can cause high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 

Stress can cause a sensation in the chest that leads people to believe they are going into cardiac arrest. This is one of the key reasons to keep an eye on your stress level and work to minimize it as much as possible. 

Nausea

Stress can make you feel sick to your stomach. Nausea is among the common symptoms of stress involving your gut. Others on this list include stomach cramps and indigestion. 

Diarrhea and constipation

Just as stress can cause either a loss of appetite or a much bigger appetite, it can have that same effect—causing one extreme or the other—on your bowels. A hormone released during stressful times causes the body to direct blood flow to vital organs instead of the intestines, thus causing intestinal movement to slow down. Constipation and diarrhea are both symptoms of stress being caused by chronic stress. 

Difficulty sleeping

Being under a lot of stress can definitely make it harder to fall asleep at night. Sleep is essential to every other aspect of your health. Without sleep, your brain might have a harder time making good choices—which can lead to more stress. 

Graying hair

Chronic stress breaks down your body. Sometimes your hair starts to gray. Stress can cause premature graying is related to the effect stress has on stem cells that regenerate hair pigment. 

Tension headaches

These are the most common types of headache. They occur when scalp and neck muscles contract or become tense and they can be a result of stress. 

Acne

Since stress is a hormonal change that makes your skin oiler, it too can cause a breakout. 

Changes in sex drive and Difficulty focusing

All-consuming stress—or anxiety or exhaustion—can cause a loss of libido. And also, you cannot seem to get your focus under control. 

While stress can have an immense impact on your health, there are numerous ways to manage it. This can include meditation, talk therapy, or simple lifestyle changes (like eating nutritious foods, getting enough movement and going to bed on time every night).