Key Points

Stress is a state of physical, mental, and emotional tension or strain.
Symptoms of stress include frequent headaches, unexplained Frustration, anxiety, sleep problems, low sex drive, general body weakness, and digestive problems.
You can relieve stress through regular exercise, relaxation, having a To-Do-List, and seeking medical help.
When chronic stress isn’t properly handled, it suppresses the body’s immune system and manifests as illnesses.
Telemedicine can help you get support from a healthcare professional via a video call.

Stress is not a new thing to human beings. As the world continues to evolve, sustaining an appreciable standard of living entails putting in hard work and energy to succeed in our various endeavours.

Irrespective of age, each person has their individual challenges and goals which are worth working towards. This is where stress comes in.

When not well managed, stress can interfere with everyday functioning. While stress often occurs in the pursuit of one’s goal, it can work against a person if care is not taken.

What is Stress?

Stress has to do with a state of physical, mental, and emotional tension or strain. As adults, whether young or old, stress can come from the pressure to perform well in school and other related activities, job search, career building, finances, parenting, marriage, etc.

It is difficult to find someone who has not experienced some level of stress at one point of their lives or the other. Thus, it is safe to say that stress is part of life. It is absolutely normal to be stressed once in a while as life is hardly a bed of roses.

What matters at the end of the day is how one chooses to manage stress so it does not begin to affect productivity, mood, relationships, and general well-being. If handled intentionally, stress can work for you in the achievement of your targets.

However, when not properly managed, stress can work against you especially when it goes on for long periods of time.

The truth remains that most of the time, we are caught up with life’s activities so much so that one does not realise when we are stressed.

Therefore, it is pertinent to pay attention to your mind and body as they respond to the circumstances and situations around you.

Signs and Symptoms of Stress.

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Always paying attention to one’s body is very necessary to avoid being taken unawares. Thus, below are some signs and indicators that you may be highly stressed:

1) Frequent headaches

2) Unexplained Frustration

3) Anxiety

4) Sleep problems

READ: 5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

5) Low sex drive

6) General body weakness

7) Digestive problems

Possible side effects of Stress.

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Short-term stress is never a cause for alarm. However, when stress becomes too overwhelming without any sort of relief and metamorphosing into a long-term challenge, it is important to Seek Medical Help.

Leaving stress untreated or unchecked for a while can lead to the following side effects:

1) High blood pressure: The number one cause of high blood pressure is stress. Of course, we live in a very busy world with a myriad of work, business, and family commitments here and there.

To make sure that one does not get overwhelmed and stressed out, it’s beneficial to find ways to relax from all the stress.

2) Cardiac arrest: Heart attack can also be a resultant effect of unchecked stress levels. To avoid being a victim, be intentional about how you take care of your heart health.

3) Sexual dysfunction: Stress affects the mind as well as the body which contributes to sexual frustration and dysfunction. This will further put a strain on your relationship with your partner. Thus, it is necessary to not let things go downhill before seeking help.

4) Depression: Long-term stress can contribute to depression, a mood disorder that makes a person to feel overwhelmed with sadness and hopelessness. The impact of stress on depression is a serious emotional and medical challenge.

5) Anxiety disorder: Experiencing stress for a long period of time can trigger anxiety disorder in some people which is almost always a result of stress build-up.

6) Less productivity: Whether in the workplace, home, relationships, etc, stressed people exhibit a higher tendency to be significantly less effective and underperform in their roles. Learn more about 5 Ways to Relieve Job Stress after Work.

7) Forgetfulness: Prolonged stress can impair mental abilities as it makes it harder for a person to concentrate and lock in new information or remember old information.

8) Irritability: Anger and irritability are common traits of people who are stressed. So, if you notice that you get pissed off unnecessarily, it can be a tell-tale sign that you are stressed.

9) Fatigue: Decreased energy levels are associated with stress. Such mental, physical or emotional exhaustion are possible side effects of stress.

10) Chest pain: When a person is stressed out, the brain sends a surge of adrenaline and cortisol through the body. These hormones, then, trigger a rapid rise in the heart rate as well as blood pressure. The result is usually chest pain.

Practical Ways to Relieve Stress

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Even though stress is part of life, one can make conscious efforts to avoid being overwhelmed. Some of the ways to achieve this is by doing the following:

1) Regular exercise: It must not involve serious workouts or gym membership. Brisk walking, cycling, having an evening stroll, etc can help to relieve stress and make one feel relaxed afterward.

2) Gratitude: There is always something to be grateful for. So when stressed, think about the good things in and around your life and be grateful for them. Gratitude helps you feel at ease, happier, and relieved.

3) Have a daily To-do list: When overwhelmed by day-to-day activities, it helps to have a to-do list of your day even before it begins. It helps to adjust your mind and body for the day’s tasks.

4) Relaxation: Find time to rest and relax when you feel stressed. It can be in the form of a nap, reading your favorite book, listening to soft music, having a massage, etc.

5) Speak to a Healthcare Professional: If your stress is emotionally orchestrated, it may help to speak to a healthcare professional about your worries. A Doctor can help by offering advice, prescribing medicine or referring you to a therapist.

Conclusion

As earlier noted, stress is absolutely a normal part of life because life is full of ups and downs; and change is constant. Stress, therefore, remains the body’s way of responding to change in any given circumstance. If well managed, stress can help you to make adjustments to new developments or situations.

It can also make you put more effort into confronting the challenges at hand as well as keep you on your toes. In this case, such stress does not stick for too long.

However, when stress becomes long-term without any sort of relief or deliberate management, it becomes a problem. So, it is important to always find ways to relax and let go of stressors whether physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise.

How Telemedicine Can Help

When you’re feeling stressed, it can mess with your body and mind. You will get headaches, find it hard to sleep, or feel super anxious. Dealing with these side effects can be tough, but there’s a cool solution called telemedicine. This lets you talk to a doctor or therapist online, which can be a huge help when stress gets overwhelming.

Telemedicine is helpful because you can get support without having to leave your house. Imagine sitting on your couch and just having a video call with a healthcare professional who can give you advice and tips to manage your stress. This means you don’t have to deal with the hassle of traveling to an office or waiting hours at the hospital, which is relieving if you’re already feeling stressed out. It’s convenient and makes getting help so much easier.

Another great thing about telemedicine is that it can give you quick access to the help you need. Instead of waiting for an appointment that could be days or weeks away, you can often get a virtual appointment much sooner. This fast access means you can start feeling better faster. Whether you need advice on how to relax, ways to improve your sleep, or just someone to talk to about what’s stressing you out, telemedicine can be a lifesaver.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What can too much stress cause?

Too much stress can have adverse effects on your body, behaviour, thoughts and feelings. You may become more irritable, experience frequent headaches, have anxiety or panic attacks, and the list goes on. When stress is not properly dealt with, it can lead to health problems, like high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, or obesity.

2. What are 5 common symptoms of stress?

Symptoms of stress include:

Body aches and pains
Exhaustion or trouble sleeping
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Muscle tension or jaw clenching
Stomach or digestive problems
Low sex drive
Chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing.
Headaches, dizziness or shaking

3. What does long-term stress do to the body?

Long-term stress can cause imbalance in the body. Chronic stress is linked to various health issues like headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure, weight gain or weight loss, heart disease, terrible sleep, and possibly stroke.

4. Can stress make you sick?

Yes, stress can make you sick. Research shows that hronic stress affects almost every system in the body. This is because, chronic stress puts the body in a constant fight-or-flight response. This declines the nervous system and lessens adrenaline secretion. Also, corticosteroid secretion level goes nuclear at this point. The bottom line is, when chronic stress isn’t properly handled (and persists) for a long time, it suppresses the body’s immune system and manifests as illnesses.

5. Can stress cause a stroke?

Stress is linked to stroke and other ailments like heart disease. When you are constantly stressed, your heart works harder and your blood pressure increases. Consequently, these can cause clots to form and travel to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.