Are you losing the battle against stress? Are you “sick and tired of feeling sick and tired”? We face a constant barrage of external and internal stressors that our body and mind must be strong enough to counterbalance. All of health requires balance. In endocrinology it’s called “allostasis” which simply means consistency through change.

Like a see-saw, your body is always trying to maintain balance. When balance is lost...health is lost.
There are a multitude of symptoms that you may be struggling with that are clues to an underlying abnormal stress response. However, there are 7 major symptoms of stress that are definite clues that you should evaluate the impact stress is having on your health.
7 Major Stress Symptoms
(1) Headaches
- Do you struggle with headaches when you wake up in the morning, or in the evening when you come home from work?
- Do you have a constant dull ache behind your eyes, at the base of your skull, or in your temples?
(2) Fatigue
- Are you tired when you wake up, no matter how long you slept the night before?
- Do you crash after lunch and in the late afternoon?
- Do you get a “second wind” late at night and this makes it difficult to get to bed at a decent time?
(3) Neck Pain, Midback Pain, Low Back Pain, or Pain in General
- Are your activities and hobbies affected by constant muscle pains and body aches?
- Have you been diagnosed or told you have fibromyalgia?
(4) Sleep Disorders
- Have you tried all the sleeping meds and still can’t get to sleep?
- Are you tired of counting sheep?
- Do you wake up frequently, stare at your alarm clock and hope for just a few minutes of good sleep?
(5) Digestive Troubles
- Do you take antacids and acid blockers frequently?
- Do you get gas, bloating, reflux, or indigestion symptoms?
- Do you have problems with constipation, diarrhea, or a combination of the two?
(6) Irritability and/or Mood Swings
- Do friends and family ask you “what’s wrong” frequently?
- Do you feel irritated and trivial things that you know shouldn’t upset you?
(7) Chronic Sinus or Allergy Problems
- Are you always struggling with another sinus infection that requires more antibiotics?
- Do you seem to stay sicker longer than you used to?
- Are you constantly blowing your nose, wiping your eyes, or clearing your throat?
