We all experience stress, however, not everyone experiences it the same. While stress mainly affects us on a mental and psychological level, symptoms of stress can extend far beyond taking a toll on our minds. Stress can exhibit physical symptoms as well. While our bodies are equipped to handle stress to a certain extent, excess, chronic stress takes a toll on the body just as it does on the mind. Here are physical signs that show your stress is getting out of control.
1. Neck Pain
Muscle tension is one of the physical symptoms of stress. If you often experience pain at the base of your head or feel the area around the neck and shoulder is constantly tense, this is a sign you’ve been stressed out lately.
2. Weight gain
As we stress, level of the cortisol, the stress hormone, rises higher. When cortisol gets higher, it increases the appetite and causes cravings for sweet and fatty food. Additionally, cortisol makes the body retain more calories because it receives signals that it is in an emergency situation. This is why when you undergo a lot of stress you may notice accumulated fat around the stomach.
3. Hair loss
While there are several factors that contribute to hair loss like malnutrition, stress also plays a big part. Chronic stress causes your hair to fall out and disrupts the cycle of hair growth. Undergoing a major stressful event like losing a job or the passing of a loved one stops the hair from growing as a way of the body focusing efforts on surviving this event.
4. Stomach problems
Stress can affect our overall gut health. When experiencing stress over a long period of time, you may notice stomach problems such as constipation, discomfort, bloating, digestion problems, and discomfort.
5. Headaches
Constant headaches are among the very common symptoms related to stress. If you are experiencing more headaches than usual, this is a sign you need to take it easy and relax. Stress can also cause migraines and make existing headaches worse and more intense.
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