You're committed to a healthy lifestyle - at least most of the time. So why is your back always sore? Or every time you turn around, you've got another cold. Or your skin is breaking out - and you're long past your teens.
Physical symptoms like these may mean your body is sending you an urgent SOS: You're stressed! Even if you think you've got things under control, chronic physical problems can signal serious stress overload. Watch out for these common stress-related symptoms.
Headaches
Dr. David Wong, Specialist in Orthopaedic Surgery, Raffles Hospital (RH), says that tension headaches are very common, affecting as many as 40 per cent of teenagers and adults. RH Neutrologist Dr Alvin Seah explains, "Chronic muscle tension in the forehead, scalp and neck region may cause our pain receptors to be more sensitive, triggering what is called a tension-type or stress headache." If you slouch at your desk all day, the muscles of your head and neck may be aggravated, which can caused muscle spasms that may activate a headache, or even lead to a migraine attack.
Back or neck pain
Under stress, you may hold your body in different positions, or unconsciously tighten your muscles, leading to achy feelings or even nagging pain in your back. Dr. Wong adds, "The neck, one of the weaker parts of the body, can cause a brutal headache. Neck movements that go on for an extended period of time can result in a cervicogenic headache, which affects both the head and neck."
Constant colds
As mentioned above, stress depresses your body's immune function. That means it's harder to fight off the viruses that causes colds, and you're also more likely to develop other infections. One US study found that people with severe chronic stressors that lasted more than a month were more likely to catch a cold than those without those stressors.
Stomach upset
Stress triggers the fight or flight syndrome in the body, diverting blood away from your organs so that your limbs are ready to respond to a threat. That lack of blood may leave you feeling sick, queasy, or nauseous. RH Gastroenterologist Dr Law Ngai Moh says, "Stress can lead to an imbalance of acid secretion and gut hormones, which results in hypersensitivity and irregular contraction of the gut." Stress may also trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Dr. Law explains, "The human brain is the 'big brain' and the gut nervous network is like the 'small brain' in our body. Enhanced and disturbed 'brain and gut dialogue' due to stress will alter colonic sensation and movement, leading to symptoms like IBS."
Skin disorders
If you tend to break out before a big presentation, you may have brought it on yourself. RH Dermatologist Dr. Chris Foo says that stress produces hormones that stimulate the sebaceous glands to secrete more sebum, thereby aggravating acne. And people with psoriasis or other autoimmune diseases often notice that their symptoms are more pronounced during stressful times.
