8 Signs That Are Indicative of Stress
According to an American Psychological
Association survey, Americans are more stressed than ever before, and
nearly one third believe that stress has a negative impact on their
physical and mental health. If you have any of the following symptoms,
then stress might be making you ill.
1. You Break Out in Hives 
If you suddenly break out in itchy red
bumps, stress could be to blame. When you experience excessive stress,
your immune system goes haywire and your body starts releasing histamine
to fight off your ailments. However, if your stress doesn’t go away,
you will develop an allergic reaction that will result in hives. When
your immune system is weakened by stress, your skin can also become
irritated by things it never used to be sensitive to, such as cold,
heat, lotions, soap, or laundry detergent.
What to do: Put a cool, damp towel on the affected area. If this doesn’t work, take an antihistamine.
2. Your Weight Starts to Fluctuate
Shanna Levine, MD, a primary care physician and clinical instructor of
medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City,
says that “stress triggers the release of the hormone cortisol, which
impairs your body’s ability to process blood sugar and changes the way
you metabolize fat, protein, and carbs, which can lead to weight gain or
loss.” Stress can also cause people to overeat or undereat.
What to do: Snack on nuts. The protein will help if you’re undereating,
and the fiber will fill you up if you’ve been bingeing.
3. You Keep Getting Headaches
f you rarely suffer from headaches but
suddenly you keep getting pounding headaches, it could be due to stress.
When you’re stressed, your body releases chemicals that can cause
changes to nerves and blood vessels in the brain, which brings on a
headache. If you’re prone to migraines, stress can trigger them or make
them much worse. It’s also common for your muscles to tense up when
you’re stressed, which can also cause a headache.
What to do: If you don’t want to take some ibuprofen, try dabbing
lavender oil or peppermint oil on your temples when a headache starts.
4. Your Tummy Is Just Off
Stress can disrupt the function of your GI tract in more than one way.
For example, it can cause the body to produce more digestive acid,
leading to heartburn. According to Deborah Rhodes, MD, a Mayo Clinic
internal medicine physician, “it can also slow the emptying of food from
the stomach, which causes gas and bloating, and may even increase the
number of times your colon contracts, leading to cramping and diarrhea."
What to do: Take an over-the-counter antacid or drink some ginger tea.
5. You Always Have a Cold
Stress suppresses the immune system, which makes it a lot easier for you
to get sick and much harder for you to fight off bugs. Researchers at
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh infected volunteers with a cold
virus; those who declared that they were coping with many stresses were
found to be twice as likely to get sick than those with fewer
stress-related problems.
What to do: One study found that zinc supplements can shorten the
duration of a cold by about a day if taken within 24 hours of feeling
sick. Meditation, exercise, and plenty of sleep can also help you
de-stress and boost your immune system.
6. You Have Acne Again 
You thought acne was a thing of the past,
but if your face is suddenly a mess of pimples, stress might be the
reason why. When you’re stressed, your body pumps out more hormones,
like cortisol, which causes skin glands to produce more oil. This excess
oil can get trapped inside hair follicles, along with dead skin cells
and dirt, producing pimples.
What to do: Topical creams containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid
can clear up acne if applied regularly. For a more natural approach,
you can wash your face with green tea or dab on some pure aloe vera.
7. Your Brain Feels Fuzzy
Stress can make you mentally sick, too. Too much of the stress hormone
cortisol can make it much harder to focus or concentrate, causing memory
problems as well as anxiety or depression.
What to do: Relax until you regain your focus. Practice closing your
eyes and breathing in and out, concentrating on only your breath.
8. Your Hair Is Falling Out
Losing a few strands of hair is perfectly normal, but stress can make it
worse. Significant stress pushes a large number of hair follicles into
what’s known as a resting phase, and then a few months later those hairs
fall out. Stress can also cause the body’s immune system to attack your
hair follicles, resulting in hair loss.
What to do: Be patient. Once your stress levels have decreased, your
hair should begin to grow back.