Symptoms and complications

 Symptoms and complications

The physical effects of stress can include:

• sweating
• pain in the back or chest
• cramps or muscle spasms
• fainting
• headaches
• nervous twitches
• pins and needles sensations

A 2012 studyTrusted Source found that the stressors that parents experience, such as financial troubles or managing a single-parent household, may also lead to obesity in their children.

Emotional reactions can include:

• anger
• burnout
• concentration issues
• fatigue
• a feeling of insecurity
• forgetfulness
• irritability
• nail biting
• restlessness
• sadness

Stress-associated behaviors include:

• food cravings and eating too much or too little
• sudden angry outbursts
• drug and alcohol misuse
• higher tobacco consumption
• social withdrawal
• frequent crying
• relationship problems

If stress becomes chronic, it can lead to several complications, including

• anxiety
• depression
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• lower immunity against diseases
• muscular aches
• PTSD
• sleeping difficulties
• stomach upset
• erectile dysfunction (impotence) and loss of libido