Writing this is a particularly personal blog for me as for many years I have suffered with acute stress and anxiety at work which included some of the physical symptoms that I will list. Stress related neck pain in particular – which sounds a fairly innocuous discomfort – led to severe cervicogenic headaches which blighted my life for years. I had involvement from doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists and x-ray technicians, used extensively muscle relaxants, heatpads, numbing gels and heavy duty painkillers, until finally I received the correct diagnosis; that the pain was muscle tension and a physical manifestation of mental stress.

Currently, there is much talk on mental health at work, but I see little on the overlap and the tipping of it into physical conditions.

Hopefully the below will give an insight into the how’s, where’s and whys the body responds to stress as it does. A part 2 of this blog will then look at how we can mitigate these responses.

How does Mental Stress Affect Physical Health

Stress is the body’s method of reacting to real or perceived threats. Chronic stress is the body’s response to an acute or continued situation.

Sometimes when we get stressed that stress can manifest as physical symptoms causing physical illnesses. Many of us ignore our bodies and the stress signs it gives us, but continuing to overlook them can lead to severe results. Stress symptoms may be affecting your health without you even realizing it. That irritating headache or your frequent insomnia leading to your decreased productivity which stresses you out at work, could actually be caused by stress in the first place !

Below I will explore some of the common physical manifestations of stress, starting with my old nemesis, muscle tension….

Muscle Tension

This is one of the first physical manifestations of stress and can be most pronounced at the base of the head. When a person’s fight or flight system is activated when stressed, muscles naturally contract. Most muscle tension is experienced as a dull ache, but it can also cause sharp or shooting pains.

Headaches

Stress headaches can feel like pressure on either side of the head and can also be accompanied by a tense neck and shoulders. If you suffer from these types of headaches regularly they could well be caused by stress. Stress can also contribute to severe headaches or migraines.

Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding is a symptom of stress which can cause dental problems such as fractured or chipped teeth, severe jaw or face pain and tension headaches.

Changes to Appetite

In the short term, stress can cause a loss of appetite due to the brain releasing an appetite suppressant hormone. Chronic stress for long periods releases cortisol which increases your appetite, especially for sweet and starchy foods. This can cause stress eating and weight gain caused not only be the increased eating of unhealthy foods, but as your body retain calories feeling that it is in an emergency situation.

Nausea

Your nervous system can be slowed down or disrupted trying to cope with stress. Serious conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome can also be linked to stress as the colon is partially controlled by the nervous system.

Increased Heart Rate

The fight or flight chemicals released into your bloodstream can increase your heart rate in addition to the speed of your breathing. For some people this can be frightening which can lead to the heart further increasing its rate.

High blood pressure

Stress can cause high blood pressure through stimulation of the nervous system producing large amounts of vasoconstricting hormones.

Chest Pain

Stress hormones released into the body include cortisol and adrenaline which may lead to chest pain. Chronic stress can even lead to cardiovascular disease although the connection is not yet completely clear.

Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions. Recurrent panic attacks and prolonged periods spent in constant fear of another attack can lead to a condition called panic disorder. Panic attacks typically include some of these symptoms:

• Fear of loss of control
• Rapid heart rate and pounding heart, chest pain
• Excessive sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Chills or hot flushes
• Lightheadedness or faintness

Panic attacks are not life-threatening but may significantly affect the quality of life of the sufferer.

Dry Mouth

The stress response can reduce the production of saliva in the mouth. This may lead to discomfort when swallowing food and an increased risk of developing a bacterial or fungal infection.

Acne

Stress may lead to surges of cortisol which can provoke cystic acne; red, painful spots that are difficult to treat.

Dizziness

Dizziness can be associated with stress and anxiety as stress increases can lead to changes in breathing rates, which can change the CO2 levels in the blood. The fight or flight response can also mean that blood is re-directed from the head to the areas that that the body thinks needs it.

Insomnia/ Feeling Tired

Stress and a racing mind can leave you having a tough time shutting down and falling asleep. Conversely, the physiological effect on your body of the releasing of stress hormones, heart and breathing acceleration can cause a constant strain on your system leaving you feeling tired all the time.

Increased risk of illness

Another impact of stress may be a negative impact on immunity.

Conclusion

Further to the above listed, stress that’s left untreated can contribute to even more severe health problems; such as heart disease and diabetes. As a health and safety professional or someone whose working duties include health and safety responsibilities it is important to be aware of these hazards to mental and physical health. The new UAE Labour Law, Federal Decree by Law No. 33 of 2021 Regulating Labour Relations, specifically states that employees mental health at work must be protected, which includes their exposure to stress.

 

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