Notice Me! The Surprising Signs Of Stress Your Body Is Trying To Show You

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I’ve been super stressed lately and while I thought I was handling it well, my body started acting strangely.

First, my somewhat wavy hair became totally curly. A few people asked me if I had gotten a perm. Next, canker sores coated the inside of my mouth, making it difficult to eat or to talk. Finally, my period arrived two weeks early (and again two weeks later).

I went to the doctor, and everything appeared normal on the surface — until I saw my psychiatrist, who explained that my body is so stressed that it’s rebelling, showing clear signs that I need to slow down. It was only when I started doing weekly therapy and got on some strong meds (Prozac is a lifesaver) that my body relaxed enough to rid itself of the canker sores and the continual period. The curls appear to be here to stay, but I’m not complaining.

In the process, I researched and studied signs of stress so I don’t miss them in the future. Here’s what your body is trying to tell you.

Your hair changed texture.

Did your hair also become suddenly curly? Or maybe it’s more brittle and coarser. Perhaps it’s falling out or thinning. Stress affects hormones, particularly cortisol, which can disrupt the balance of other hormones like estrogen and androgen, explains Sumarie Engelbrecht, a holistic mental health therapist specializing in women 18 to 40. When you increase your androgen levels, your hair may be the first to react, typically becoming rough. Stress can also affect your blood circulation, which affects your sebum or hair follicles, and some of your hair may fall out, which is also a sign of androgenic alopecia or pattern hair loss.

What to do about it:

Adding hair oil could help with the coarseness, and it also is a self-care act when you rub it gently into your scalp. Try Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil ($30 at Ulta.com), K 18 Biomimetic Hairscience ($27 at Sephora.com) or Moroccan Oil (starts at $18 at Nordstrom.com).

Your menstrual cycle has gone wild.

This could be a sign of menopause, but it’s also a sign of stress. Again, this has to do with your hormones. When you’re stressed, your body produces higher levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone, Engelbrecht says. Elevated cortisol can interfere with the hypothalamus, the region in the brain responsible for regulating your menstrual cycle. This interference can disrupt the normal production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which are essential for ovulation and menstruation, resulting in a delayed or irregular cycle.

What to do about it:

Meditate and add Vitamin D to your body. Studies have found that Vitamin D can help regulate ovulation — and a study linked irregular periods with low Vitamin D.

Canker sores invaded your mouth.

This happens because you’re most likely increasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are crucial in cell signaling to let your body know about infections and inflammation. Elevated levels of cytokines can lead to inflammatory conditions including eczema, canker sores and herpes. Stress also reduces the effectiveness of immune surveillance, allowing these viruses to reactivate.

What to do about it:

Treat the canker sores with half baking soda and half water (apply using a cotton swab). Then, dot the canker sore with Milk of Magnesia. Without treatment, these will go away on their own in one to two weeks.

Your jaw keeps locking.

This was another weird one that happened to me. I visited the dentist and then a TMJ specialist - essentially a jaw doctor — to discover that I could thank my stress levels for this one, too. When stressed, you’re more likely to grind or clench your teeth while you’re sleeping, leading to headaches, earaches, tooth sensitivity and jaw clicking and locking.

What to do about it:

The easiest way to rid yourself of unconscious grinding and clenching is to get a mouthguard. While you can easily purchase a mouthguard from your local drugstore, we highly recommend getting a customized mouthguard from your dentist. Wear it 24/7 for the first month, and then gradually reduce the amount of time you’re wearing it by an hour per day until you only use it at night. This should help with lockjaw, jaw clicking and other related issues.

 
Have YOU experienced any of the above? Are any of you stressed? Let us know in the comments below.