Stress can be a long or short term health issue in women. The causes of stress are ever multiplying; outside factors such as jobs, family responsibilities, life events and the many roles a woman plays day to day are some causes of stress. Stress may also be caused by internal factors, such as illness or disease. Whether long or short term, the signs and symptoms of stress in women may mimic those of illness and can make it difficult to function until the cause is resolved.
Reproductive Functions
A delicate balance exists in the reproductive system between the cycling hormones that govern the reproductive cycle; the introduction of stress can upset this balance in many ways. As stress is known to affect hormone levels and production of reproductive-linked entities such as testosterone, a woman experiencing stress may find that her menstrual periods become infrequent, irregular or even absent. As stress also lowers the natural defenses, women may also exhibit frequent, recurring vaginal infections as a result of stress.
Weight Gain or Loss
Weight gain and loss due to stress has many possible causes. Emotional eating is commonly cited as a cause for weight gain during stress. This nutritional pattern may be linked to anxiety, insecurity, or other emotional triggers. Weight loss is also a common sign of stress; this can be caused by the same emotional triggers that cause weight gain in some women, however, it can also be caused by other stress side effects such as stomach pains, irritation of ulcers, inflammation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other physiological causes.
Cardiovascular Issues
The heart and cardiovascular system may also be affected as a symptom of stress. Stress may magnify heart irregularities such as arrhythmia and can trigger more episodes of irregular heartbeat. It also has an effect on blood pressure as elevated blood pressure levels, also known as essential hypertension, are a known symptom of stress. Hypertension is known to be linked as a risk factor to strokes, heart attacks and heart failure, so treatment of this symptom is vital to women suffering from stress linked issues.
Muscle Problems
Muscle aches, spasms and tension are considered further signs of stress in women. This is another innate physiological response to emotions such as anxiety or tension and can occur in any part of the body. For this reason, muscle relaxants are often prescribed as a part of therapy for stress. Muscle tension may also be treated physically by massage, steam or heat therapies. Home treatments, such as a hot bath, may also improve this symptom.
Mental and Emotional Signs
By far the largest category, the mental and emotional symptoms of stress manifest differently in every woman. These can include anxiety, tension, depression and fatigue as well as forgetfulness, irritability and overreaction to small stimuli or annoyances. These emotional signs and symptoms of stress in women may be displayed or internalized. As they are displayed differently in every woman and very common signs of stress, the emotional and mental symptoms are often the first recognizable signs displayed by a stress sufferer.
Tags: stress women, symptoms stress, also caused, anxiety tension, blood pressure, cause weight