• RSS Feeds

Stress symptoms: Effects on your body, feelings and behavior

By Mayo Clinic staff

Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent insomnia or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the culprit.

Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can give you a jump on managing them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Of course, if you're not sure if stress is the cause or if you've taken steps to control your stress but your symptoms continue, see your doctor. Your doctor may want to check for other potential causes.

Also, if you have chest pain, especially if it occurs during physical activity or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea, or pain radiating into your shoulder and arm, get emergency help immediately. These may be warning of a heart attack and not simply stress symptoms.

Source: American Psychological Association's "Stress in America" report, 2010

If you do have stress symptoms, taking steps to manage your stress can have numerous health benefits. Explore stress management strategies such as:

• Physical activity
• Relaxation techniques
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Tai chi

• See Also

Hand Scheduled
Section Focus
• Chronic stress: Can it cause depression?
• Stress and hair loss: Are they related?
• Stress assessment: Rate your stress level
• Stress and weight gain
• Normal stress or adjustment disorder?
• How to be happy: Tips for cultivating contentment
• Stress: Constant stress puts your health at risk
• Stress management: Identify your sources of stress
• Stress management: Re-examine your stress reactions
• Resiliency: Who goes the distance and why?
• The food and mood connection
• Negative thinking can take the joy out of life for caregivers
• With a little help from our friends
• Social support can give you a leg up
• Create your future today
• Contingency planning is more than just talk
• Finest hour or flame out?
• Stop multitasking and learn how to focus
• Don't let others set your agenda
• Disaster preparedness when you have diabetes
• Empty nest syndrome: Tips for coping
• Headaches: Reduce stress to prevent the pain
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Adjustment disorders

Related Links
• Diabetes and stress: Tips for present moment awareness

Mayo Clinic Store

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.

• Try Mayo Clinic Health Letter FREE!
• Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine
• Mayo Clinic Five Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure
• Reach out to Mayo Clinic pregnancy experts for confidential advice

The Mayo Clinic Diet — Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight.