Are You Experiencing Physical Signs of Stress?

Are You Experiencing Physical Signs of Stress?

 May 3, 2018

A woman sitting at a table with her hands on her head.


Stress is a part of caregiving, unfortunately. While you might not notice how stressed you are, you are likely to notice some of the physical symptoms of stress and those are your clue to take further action.

Headaches

If you’re not prone to headaches, it can be extremely troubling when they start cropping up on a daily or even a weekly basis. Most often, stress headaches are a result of muscle tension. It’s still a good idea to talk to your doctor about headaches you’re experiencing so that your doctor can rule out potential medical causes.

Muscle Tension and Soreness

Muscle tension doesn’t just give you headaches, though. It can cause you to hold your body in an odd manner, sleep poorly, and just generally experience constant aches and pains. Massage can help as can warm baths with Epsom salts. As with headaches, though, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor to rule out a medical cause.

Trouble Eating

Eating issues can crop up in a variety of ways. You might find that you’re having a difficult time finding any appetite at all. You could also find that you’re eating way more than usual or you’re craving foods that don’t make you feel all that great after you eat them. You might want to start keeping a quick food diary to see what you’re eating and that way you can get a full picture of how your food intake might be off.

Insomnia and Other Sleeping Issues

When you’re stressed, sleep can be a problem. Just like with food, you might find that you’re either getting too much or too little. You might be able to get to sleep, but staying asleep is a problem and you’re awake way too early. Other times you might find that you lie there for hours and just can’t get to sleep. Regardless, your doctor can help you to determine if there’s a medical cause before you try other solutions.

Anxiety

Being a caregiver can mean that you’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop in terms of your senior’s well-being and care. That constant anxiety can eat at you and keep you on edge all day long. Learning how to manage your anxiety is easy to do with the right tools. Consider talking to a therapist who can walk you through finding the right tools for you.

If you’re seeing more than a few of these symptoms or you’re experiencing them for longer periods of time, you might want to talk to your doctor. Ignoring the physical signs of stress or simply trying to treat the symptom rather than the stress can cause things to get worse rather than better.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Homecare in Greentree, PA, please contact the caring staff at In-Home Quality Care today. Serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area since 1990! Call 412-421-5202