Sources of stress can be unnoticeable impacting your physical wellbeing, even if you aren't aware of it. You may believe illness is to blame for some of your physical discomforts, such as a throbbing headache, chronic insomnia, or a drop in work productivity. However, stress may be the root of the problem.

Common effects of stress

Your body, your thoughts and emotions, and your behavior may all be affected by stress symptoms. Recognizing typical stress symptoms will assist you in controlling them. Unmanaged stress can lead to a variety of health issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Headaches, muscle tension or discomfort, chest pain, exhaustion, libido changes, stomach upset, and sleep issues

Anxiety, restlessness, low motivation or concentration, a sense of being depressed, irritability or frustration, sadness or depression are all symptoms of depression.

Excessive or insufficient feeding, rage outbursts, substance or alcohol abuse, tobacco use, social withdrawal, and infrequent exercise.

Taking measures to relieve stress symptoms may have a variety of health benefits. Investigate stress-reduction techniques such as daily physical exercise. Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi, or massages are examples of stress-busting methods. Spending time with friends and relatives. Adopting a pet is a wonderful thing to do. Spending more time in nature. Setting aside time for leisure activities such as reading or listening to music. Make it a point to find active ways to deal with your tension.

Passive methods of stress management, such as watching television, browsing the web, or playing video games, may appear to be calming in the beginning; they may increase the stress in the long run. Often, get plenty of rest and eat a safe, well-balanced diet. Tobacco, excessive caffeine and alcohol, and the use of illicit drugs should all be avoided.

When to seek help

Consult your doctor if you're unsure that stress is the cause or if you've tried to manage your stress but your symptoms persist. Other possible triggers can be verified by your healthcare provider. Consider seeing a licensed counselor or therapist who will assist you in identifying stress factors and learning new coping strategies. If you have chest pain, seek emergency medical attention right away, particularly if you are also experiencing difficulty breathing, jaw or back pain, pain radiating through your shoulder and arm, sweating, dizziness, or nausea. These may be signs of a heart attack rather than just stress symptoms.