Weird stress signs we normally ignore

Thanks to the economic state of the nation, citizens of Nigeria have doubled their hustle and as such, many are under a lot of strain and suffer great stress. Unfortunately, not every one of us can tell when our body is crying out for help as sometimes, the symptoms exhibited by the body can be very subtle.

Stress, especially when it is chronic or excess, can have detrimental health effects including as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and in some cases, instant death. The repeated blasts of stress hormones can also speed the aging process. It is, therefore, important that Nigerians recognize some of the lesser and most times weird signs that your body may be experiencing stress.

If you experience any of the signs that follow, we seriously advise that you take some time out every day, or visit the doctor for a check-up.

Hair Loss

Hair loss is usually regarded as a sign of old age or improper hair management; or in severe cases, terminal diseases. Experiencing random hair loss, however, could be as a result of stress. If you young and are losing more hair when you comb or wash it, even when you are certain you have been grooming properly, your body is definitely giving you a hint. Great thing is that this kind of hair loss is often temporary as it usually stops once you relax or treat the stress.

An achy mouth/ Jaw pain

A weird sign that you are stressed is Jaw pain, usually accompanied with earaches, and headaches. This sore jaw usually is a result of you clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth at night without knowing.  A visit to the dentist may result in you having to wear a mouth guard to prevent damage to your teeth; however, a more permanent way to avoid this would be by practicing stress-relieving techniques like meditation.

Strange dreams

Dreaming is a normal aspect of life and being human. Usually, however, they do not occur every day and they always are linked to things that happen around us or people we know. Normally, dreams would get progressively more positive as you sleep, so you wake up in a better mood than you were in when you went to bed, however, when you are stressed, you tend to wake up more often, and endure unpleasant imagery in your dreams which mostly recur all night.  A good way to fight this is to aim for 7 to 8 hours a night and avoid any substance that could make sleeping difficult.



A sweet tooth

This seems highly debatable, but truth is that your chocolate, ice cream or sweet cravings may not be as a result of “long throat” or your female/male hormones acting out. Studies have shown that sugar cravings are likely related to stress. Stress has an effect on certain hormones, in the body which can cause you to crave sugary unhealthy foods. So, if you find that you have a constant and intense craving for sweet things, you may want to consider counter-stress strategies.

Itchy skin

An itchy skin is not always an allergy or bug bite. Itching is another unusual sign of stress. Basically, when your body is under strain and feels stressed, the stress response activates nerve fibers, causing an itchy sensation all over the skin. Rather than opt for allergy medication or soothing balm, you may want to take time out and chill.



By Nkem Ndem