50 Common Signs and Symptoms of Stress

1. Frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain

2. Gritting, grinding teeth
3. Stuttering or stammering
4. Tremors, trembling of lips, hands
5. Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms
6. Light headedness, faintness, dizziness
7. Ringing, buzzing or “popping sounds
8. Frequent blushing, sweating
9. Cold or sweaty hands, feet
10. Dry mouth, problems swallowing
11. Frequent colds, infections, herpes sores
12. Rashes, itching, hives, “goose bumps”
13. Unexplained or frequent “allergy” attacks
14. Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea
15. Excess belching, flatulence
16. Constipation, diarrhea, loss of control
17. Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing
18. Sudden attacks of life threatening panic
19. Chest pain, palpitations, rapid pulse
20. Frequent urination
21. Diminished sexual desire or performance
22. Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness
23. Increased anger, frustration, hostility
24. Depression, frequent or wild mood swings
25. Increased or decreased appetite

1. Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams

2. Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts
3. Trouble learning new information
4. Forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion
5. Difficulty in making decisions
6. Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed
7. Frequent crying spells or suicidal thoughts
8. Feelings of loneliness or worthlessness
9. Little interest in appearance, punctuality
10. Nervous habits, fidgeting, feet tapping
11. Increased frustration, irritability, edginess
12. Overreaction to petty annoyances
13. Increased number of minor accidents
14. Obsessive or compulsive behavior
15. Reduced work efficiency or productivity
16. Lies or excuses to cover up poor work
17. Rapid or mumbled speech
 18. Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness
19. Problems in communication, sharing
20. Social withdrawal and isolation
21. Constant tiredness, weakness, fatigue
22. Frequent use of over-the-counter drugs
23. Weight gain or loss without diet
24. Increased smoking, alcohol or drug use
25. Excessive gambling or impulse buying

The Effects of Stress

As demonstrated in the above list, stress can have wide ranging effects on emotions, mood
and behavior. Equally important but often less appreciated are effects on various systems,
organs and tissues all over the body, as illustrated by the following diagram.
How Stress Affects Your Body
Another infographic from Healthline shows the effects of stress on your body.

Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences. Everyone expresses stress
from time to time. Anything from everyday responsibilities like work and family to serious life
events such as a new diagnosis, war, or the death of a loved one can trigger stress. For
immediate, short-term situations, stress can be beneficial to your health. It can help you cope
with potentially serious situations. Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones that
increase your heart and breathing rates and ready your muscles to respond.

Yet if your stress response doesn’t stop firing, and these stress levels stay elevated far longer
than is necessary for survival, it can take a toll on your health. Chronic stress can cause a variety
of symptoms and affect your overall well-being. Symptoms of chronic stress include:

 irritability
 anxiety
 depression
 headaches
 insomnia

Central nervous and endocrine systems

Your central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your “fight or flight” response. In your brain,
the hypothalamus gets the ball rolling, telling your adrenal glands to release the stress hormones
adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rev up your heartbeat and send blood rushing to the
areas that need it most in an emergency, such as your muscles, heart, and other important organs.

When the perceived fear is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal.
If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor doesn’t go away, the response will
continue.

Chronic stress is also a factor in behaviors such as overeating or not eating enough, alcohol or
drug abuse, and social withdrawal.
Respiratory and cardiovascular systems

Stress hormones affect your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During the stress response,
you breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body. If you
already have a breathing problem like asthma or emphysema, stress can make it even harder to
breathe.

Under stress, your heart also pumps faster. Stress hormones cause your blood vessels to constrict
and divert more oxygen to your muscles so you’ll have more strength to take action. But this also
raises your blood pressure.

As a result, frequent or chronic stress will make your heart work too hard for too long. When
your blood pressure rises, so do your risks for having a stroke or heart attack.

Digestive system

Under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar (glucose) to give you a boost of energy. If
you’re under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge.
Chronic stress may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The rush of hormones, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can also upset your digestive
system. You’re more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux thanks to an increase in stomach
acid. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers (a bacterium called H. pylori often does), but it can increase
your risk for them and cause existing ulcers to act up.

Stress can also affect the way food moves through your body, leading to diarrhea or constipation.
You might also experience nausea, vomiting, or a stomachache.

Muscular system

Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you’re stressed. They tend to
release again once you relax, but if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the
chance to relax. Tight muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches. Over
time, this can set off an unhealthy cycle as you stop exercising and turn to pain medication for
relief.
Sexuality and reproductive system

Stress is exhausting for both the body and mind. It’s not unusual to lose your desire when you’re
under constant stress. While short-term stress may cause men to produce more of the male
hormone testosterone, this effect doesn’t last.

If stress continues for a long time, a man’s testosterone levels can begin to drop. This can
interfere with sperm production and cause erectile dysfunction or impotence. Chronic stress may
also increase risk of infection for male reproductive organs like the prostate and testes.

For women, stress can affect the menstrual cycle. It can lead to irregular, heavier, or more
painful periods. Chronic stress can also magnify the physical symptoms of menopause.

Immune system

Stress stimulates the immune system, which can be a plus for immediate situations. This
stimulation can help you avoid infections and heal wounds. But over time, stress hormones will
weaken your immune system and reduce your body’s response to foreign invaders. People under
chronic stress are more susceptible to viral illnesses like the flu and the common cold, as well as
other infections. Stress can also increase the time it takes you to recover from an illness or injury.

How Stress Affects Sleep

This infographic from Insider Living shows how stress affects sleep.

 26% of women report trouble sleeping at least once a week compared to only 16% of
men.
 19% of individuals ages 25-64 admit to losing sleep due to stress a few nights per week.
 54% say that stress or anxiety increased their anxiety about falling asleep at night.
 52% of men and 42% of women reported that stress affected their ability to remain
focused the next day.