Here are silent signs of stress that you should not ignore
These silent signs can denote that stress is making you sick and that you should pay attention to them.
Stress can affect people’s bodies and not just their mental health. Experts have shared ways how to deal with stress but before doing that, it is also important to identify the signs that can tell that your stress has become detrimental to you.
Skin issues
Chronic stress can surface as inflammation, slow healing, and worsened skin conditions, as believed by the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA). Based on the article in The Healthy, Michelle DiBlasi, DO, Chief of Inpatient Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center, said that if a person is acne-prone, cortisol increases oil production in the skin, which can lead to more break-outs.
Weight starts to fluctuate
DiBlasi said that cortisol stimulates insulin production in the body. This causes the blood glucose (sugars) to drop. With this, a person can crave more sugary and fatty foods which can lead to weight gain.
Frequent headaches
Dr. DiBlasi explained stress can lead to tension headaches because muscles in the neck and the back of the head tend to tense up when under stress.
Tummy feels off
The network between your digestive system and your brain’s central nervous system or the gut-brain axis is a complex connection. Communication happens to manage everything from digestion to metabolism, mood, hunger, pain sensitivity, immunity, and more. Chronic stress can disrupt this gut-brain communication.
Not sleeping well
Dr. DiBlasi said that cortisol that is produced during stressful events causes more disrupted sleep.
Hair is falling out
New ones replace old hair follicles over time but stress can disrupt that cycle.
Brain feels fuzzy
The stress hormone cortisol can make it harder to focus or concentrate. Because of this, memory problems can happen day-to-day.
Cycle is off
A woman’s menstrual cycle can be affected by stress.