People react differently to stress. Some seem to thrive on it, while others fall apart at the first sign of a problem. Your body is programmed to react to stressful situations, so certain short-term symptoms are normal. However, if your body is subjected to stress over a long time, it will send out signals--physical or psychological--that something is wrong. According to the American Psychological Association, if you ignore these symptoms over time, you are at risk for developing high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and depression.
Short-Term Physical Symptoms
Your body's immediate reaction to stress is to prepare you to deal with--or run away from--the stressful event. It shuts down non-essential functions, including digestion and blood flow to the skin, and maximizes blood and oxygen to the heart, muscles, lungs, and brain. Your pulse and breathing quicken, and your blood pressure rises. You may experience a dry mouth; difficulty swallowing; cool, clammy and sweaty skin; and tightening of the scalp that makes it seem that your hair is standing up. When the moment passes, your body tries to relax, but you may have a headache, upset stomach or neck and back pain afterward. If you have chest pain with shortness of breath; nausea; dizziness; and pain radiating into the shoulder and arm, according to the Mayo Clinic, you may be experiencing a heart attack rather than a normal reaction to stress, and you should get emergency help immediately.
Short-Term Psychological Symptoms
To allow you to react quickly to a stressful event, the parts of your brain that are involved with short-term memory, concentration, inhibition and rational thought are essentially turned off, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. You may notice that you are jittery, unable to concentrate or focus, irritable, forgetful or anxious.
Long-Term Physical Symptoms
According to the National Institutes of Health, too much stress, or a strong response to stress, can lead to poor general health. Specific illnesses related to long-term stress include obesity, high blood pressure, infection, heart disease and insomnia. Symptoms may include fatigue, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, unusual hunger or no appetite, and high blood pressure.
Long-Term Psychological Symptoms
According to the National Institutes of Health, persistent stress can affect your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. You may feel angry, irritable, sad, depressed, worried or insecure. Behavior changes might include an increase in smoking, drinking or use of illegal drugs--or you may start such behaviors if you haven't engaged in them before. Your relationships with others may suffer, and you may feel socially isolated. At work, you may be forgetful, unfocused or burnt out.
