When most people think of stress-related illnesses, they think of things like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Before these conditions develop, our bodies send us plenty of signals warning us to chill out. This list of the surprising symptoms of stress is from Woman’s Day magazine:
- Eye twitching. Debbie Mandel wrote Addicted to Stress. She says that twitches are one way your body sends out a stress “SOS.” To get rid of the twitch, refocus your eyes every 20 minutes. For example, if you’re working on the computer, look out the window. No window? No problem! Just tape a small mirror to your monitor and look at the reflection. That exercises the same eye muscles as looking at a panoramic view.
- Rashes. According to dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Benabio, stress can confuse the immune system and cause raised red spots - or “hives” - on the stomach, back, arms and face. Stress also aggravates skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, shingles and herpes.
- The final surprising symptom of stress: Forgetfulness. Sharon Begley is the author of Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain. She says chronic stress literally shrinks the part of our brains that’s responsible for forming memories. When stress hormones build up in the brain, it’s harder to make decisions - even simple ones, like what to make for dinner. The solution? Take a walk. A University of Colorado study found that regular exercise balances brain chemistry and improves memory.
