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- Physical symptoms of stress include: Low energy Headaches Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea Aches, pains, and tense muscles Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
www.webmd.com › balance › stress-managementStress Symptoms: Physical Effects of Stress on the Body - WebMD
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Aug 10, 2023 · Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Knowing common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that's not dealt with can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.
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- Overview
- 1. Acne
- 2. Headaches
- 3. Chronic Pain
- 4. Frequent Sickness
- 5. Decreased Energy and Insomnia
- 6. Changes in Libido
- 7. Digestive Issues
- 8. Appetite Changes
- 9. Depression
Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain caused by adverse circumstances.
At one point or another, most people deal with feelings of stress. In fact, one study found that 33% of adults reported experiencing high levels of perceived stress (1).
The condition is associated with a long list of physical and mental symptoms.
This article will look at 11 common signs and symptoms of stress.
Acne is one of the most visible ways that stress often manifests itself.
When some people are feeling stressed out, they tend to touch their faces more often. This can spread bacteria and contribute to the development of acne.
Several studies have also confirmed that acne may be associated with higher levels of stress.
One study measured acne severity in 22 people before and during an exam. Increased levels of stress as a result of the exam were associated with greater acne severity (2).
Another study of 94 teenagers found that higher stress levels were associated with worse acne, especially in boys (3).
These studies show an association, but don’t account for other factors that may be involved. Further research is needed to look at the connection between acne and stress.
Many studies have found that stress can contribute to headaches, a condition characterized by pain in the head or neck region.
One study of 267 people with chronic headaches found that a stressful event preceded the development of chronic headaches in about 45% of cases (4).
A larger study showed that increased stress intensity was associated with an increase in the number of headache days experienced per month (5).
Another study surveyed 150 military service members at a headache clinic, finding that 67% reported their headaches were triggered by stress, making it the second most common headache trigger (6).
Other common headache triggers include lack of sleep, alcohol consumption and dehydration.
Summary Stress is a common trigger for headaches. Many studies have found that increased stress levels are associated with increased headache frequency.
Aches and pains are a common complaint that can result from increased levels of stress.
One study made up of 37 teenagers with sickle cell disease found that higher levels of daily stress were associated with increases in same-day pain levels (7).
Other studies have shown that increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol may be associated with chronic pain.
For example, one study compared 16 people with chronic back pain to a control group. It found that those with chronic pain had higher levels of cortisol (8).
Another study showed that people with chronic pain had higher levels of cortisol in their hair, an indicator of prolonged stress (9).
Keep in mind that these studies show an association but don’t look at other factors that may be involved. Furthermore, it’s unclear if stress contributes to chronic pain or vice versa, or if there’s another factor that causes both.
If you feel like you’re constantly battling a case of the sniffles, stress may be to blame.
Stress may take a toll on your immune system and can cause increased susceptibility to infections.
In one study, 61 older adults were injected with the flu vaccine. Those with chronic stress were found to have a weakened immune response to the vaccine, indicating that stress may be associated with decreased immunity (10).
In another study, 235 adults were categorized into either a high- or low-stress group. Over a six-month period, those in the high-stress group experienced 70% more respiratory infections and had nearly 61% more days of symptoms than the low-stress group (11).
Similarly, one analysis looking at 27 studies showed that stress was linked to increased susceptibility of developing an upper respiratory infection (12).
More research on humans is needed to understand the complex connection between stress and immunity.
Chronic fatigue and decreased energy levels can also be caused by prolonged stress.
For example, one study of 2,483 people found that fatigue was strongly associated with increased stress levels (13).
Stress may also disrupt sleep and cause insomnia, which can lead to low energy.
One small study found that higher levels of work-related stress were associated with increased sleepiness and restlessness at bedtime (14).
Another study of 2,316 participants showed that experiencing a higher number of stressful events was significantly associated with an increased risk of insomnia (15).
These studies show an association, but they don’t account for other factors that may have played a role. Further research is needed to determine if stress can directly cause decreased energy levels.
Many people experience changes in their sex drives during stressful periods.
One small study evaluated the stress levels of 30 women and then measured their arousal while watching an erotic film. Those with high levels of chronic stress experienced less arousal compared to those with lower stress levels (16).
Another study made up of 103 women found that higher levels of stress were associated with lower levels of sexual activity and satisfaction (17).
Similarly, one study looked at 339 medical residents. It reported that high levels of stress negatively impacted sexual desire, arousal and satisfaction (18).
There are many other potential causes of changes in libido, including hormonal changes, fatigue and psychological causes.
Summary Some studies have found that higher levels of stress are associated with less sexual desire, arousal and satisfaction.
Digestive problems like diarrhea and constipation can also be caused by high levels of stress.
For example, one study looked at 2,699 children and found that exposure to stressful events was associated with an increased risk of constipation (19).
Stress may especially affect those with digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These are characterized by stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation.
In one study, higher daily stress levels were associated with increased digestive distress in 181 women with IBS (20).
Additionally, one analysis of 18 studies that investigated the role of stress on inflammatory bowel disease noted that 72% of studies found an association between stress and digestive symptoms (21).
Although these studies show an association, more studies are needed to look at how stress may directly impact the digestive system.
Changes in appetite are common during times of stress.
When you feel stressed out, you may find yourself either with no appetite at all or ravenously raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night.
One study of college students found that 81% reported that they experienced changes in appetite when they were stressed out. Of these, 62% had an increase in appetite, while 38% experienced a decrease (22).
In a study of 129 people, exposure to stress was associated with behaviors like eating without being hungry (23).
These changes in appetite may also cause fluctuations in weight during stressful periods. For example, a study of 1,355 people found that stress was associated with weight gain in overweight adults (24).
While these studies show an association between stress and changes in appetite or weight, more studies are needed to understand whether other factors are involved.
Some studies suggest that chronic stress may contribute to the development of depression.
One study of 816 women with major depression found that the onset of depression was significantly associated with both acute and chronic stress (25).
Another study found that high levels of stress were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms in 240 adolescents (26).
In addition, a study of 38 people with non-chronic major depression found that stressful life events were significantly associated with depressive episodes (27).
Remember that these studies show an association, but don’t necessarily mean that stress causes depression. More research is needed on the role of stress in the development of depression.
Besides stress, other potential contributors to depression include family history, hormone levels, environmental factors and even certain medications.
- Acne. Some studies have found that higher levels of stress are associated with increased bouts of acne (11). One reason for this may be because when some people feel stressed out, they tend to touch their faces more often.
- Headaches. Many studies have found that stress can contribute to headaches, a condition characterized by pain in the head, face, or neck region. A 2015 study showed that increased stress intensity was associated with an increase in the number of headache days experienced per month (15).
- Chronic pain. Aches and pains are a common complaint that can result from increased levels of stress. Some studies have found that chronic pain may be associated with higher levels of stress as well as increased levels of cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone.
- Frequent sickness. If you feel like you’re constantly battling a case of the sniffles or other sickness, stress may be to blame. Stress may take a toll on your immune system.
Oct 8, 2023 · In This Article. Stress affects us all. You may notice symptoms of stress when disciplining your kids, during busy times at work, when managing your finances, or when coping with a...
Jun 23, 2022 · Fatigue. Many people suffer from fatigue, which can be attributed to stress. Stress-related fatigue can stem from many factors, including too little sleep, burnout, overworking, anxiety, and anxiety. A study found that one in every four participants experienced stress-related fatigue, which is more prevalent in women than men.
Mar 4, 2024 · Insomnia, fatigue, and headaches are just a few symptoms people may experience when stressed. Getty Images. Most of us recognize stress when we feel it: that overwhelmed state of mind that...
Apr 8, 2021 · Also, get emergency help immediately if you have chest pain, especially if you also have shortness of breath, jaw or back pain, pain radiating into your shoulder and arm, sweating, dizziness, or nausea. These may be warning signs of a heart attack and not simply stress symptoms.
