What Are The Signs Of Stress?

Stress can cause both mental and physical symptoms. The effects of stress are different for different people.

The mental symptoms of stress include:

• Tension

• Irritability

• Inability to concentrate

• Feeling excessively tired

• Trouble sleeping

The physical symptoms of stress include:

• Dry mouth

• A pounding heart

• Difficulty breathing

• Stomach upset

• Frequent urination

• Sweating palms

• Tight muscles that may cause pain and trembling

Nice To Know: Many addictions are linked to a stressful lifestyle, such as overeating, smoking, drinking, and drug abuse. These are used as an escape or a temporary way of "switching off" - but they do not address the underlying problem.

Facts about stress According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, two-thirds of office visits to family doctors are for stress-related symptoms. Almost everyone experiences events that they find difficult to cope with. In a recent poll, 89 percent of people said they had experienced serious stress in their lives. According to one study, middle-aged men under severe stress who lacked emotional support were five times more likely to die within seven years than those who had the same amount of stress but had close personal ties. A recent study indicated that stress-management programs may reduce the risk of heart problems, including heart attack, by up to 75 percent in people with heart disease. Stress-related mental disorders have been called the fastest-growing occupational (work-related) disease in the U.S.