Spotting the symptoms

13 April 2012
Hair

Under extreme stress, hair can die off faster than it grows. The body's struggle to cope with added pressure can cause more hair to go into the loss-phase. Highly stressed people sometimes find clumps of hair on their pillow in the morning. But it usually grows back in time.

Mouth

As stress mounts, so does the pressure on our immune systems. One way in which this becomes apparent is the increased risk of mouth ulcers. Painful sores start to appear on the inside of the lips or cheeks and can last for weeks.

Heart

The link between stress and heart disease is still unclear. But if you've no time to cope with the pressures of life, you are not likely to be eating well or exercising - two key factors for a healthy heart. Damage may also be done by too much cortisol - the hormone that is boosted by stress and raises blood pressure.

Stomach

Students sitting exams often suffer an acne flare-up as the body pumps out more hormones in response to the stress. For sufferers of other skin conditions, such as psoriasis, the effects are similar. Doctors don't think stress causes these conditions, but if you are susceptible to them already, it can make them worse.

Feet

Under stress, the body decides not to waste effort digesting food and focuses instead on coping with the immediate danger. This is one of the reasons stress is linked with indigestion. Prolonged stress can even lead to irritable bowel syndrome.

Skin

Gout was once known as the "disease of kings". Now it's making a comeback, thanks to the obesity epidemic. But the painful foot condition can also be brought on by extreme stress and tiredness due to overwork.

Neck

Neck pain is one of the classic indicators of stress. If you are battling against excessive workload, domestic problems and financial worries, it's a natural reaction for your muscles to tense up. The neck often becomes the focal point for this, and sitting at a computer for hours on end just makes it worse.

Back

When we are stressed, we unwittingly tense up the muscles in our back. Over time, this can cause pain but it's usually made worse by poor posture and sitting hunched at our workstations for too long.

Lungs

One in three people with asthma says stress makes the condition worse. Breathing becomes shallower as our bodies react to perceived threats and prepares us for a speedy escape.

Brain

When the brain senses danger, it releases extra supplies of the hormone cortisol. Its job is to block inflammation at the site of any potential wounds. It was a handy DIY repair kit in man's hunter-gatherer days but is not so vital in the office environment. Excess cortisol is known to increase blood pressure.

  • Stress tip: The brain is where the effects of stress always begin. Practise relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in