9 signs that you're stressed and you don't know it

We all know how to hold our punches and save face in difficult moments. But stress is not so simple. Sometimes it builds up quietly and unnoticed, just when we continue to think we're fine. Except that the cough won't go away, the keys can't be found, and it's time to go to the dentist again...

1. You have nightmares

If you have another dream about a missing tooth or nightmares about falling from heights, don't see them as fatal. These dreams happen to everyone quite often, and everyone will survive them.

It is the stress that makes you fall down and lose your teeth, and it makes you catch up with the departing train again. The only thing these dreams are about is that it's time for you to get some real rest.

2. You began to catch cold more often.

We no longer have to decide every day whether to fight or flee from a predator in order to survive, and the stress we experience in traffic and at work is not directly related to the threat to life. But we still react to it the same way we did in ancient times - by releasing large amounts of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

It is known that in medicine, large doses of cortisol are used in the treatment of allergies - they specifically "turn off" the immune system response in order to relieve irritation.

In the same way, our immune system is also turned off by the constant stress we experience, which forces the body to release excessive doses of cortisol over and over again.

It may seem that stress controls us so that our palms get cold and our heart beats faster and faster. But no, we manage stress ourselves, we create it literally out of nothing, we start this process with one thought, when we start to worry and worry about the slightest thing.

3. Your hair is falling out.

It's not always environmental or bad shampoo. What's important for our hair is our nutrition and our peace of mind. Try not to worry unnecessarily at least for their sake!

4. You stumble, you drop everything and you lose everything.

Outwardly you're a flint, and no one at home or at work has ever seen you get nervous or break down into a shouting match. But that doesn't mean you've conquered stress.

Even in people with strong wills and iron nerves, stressful circumstances affect cognitive abilities, memory, speech and motor skills. Bank cards are lost and found again in the bag, passwords are forgotten, keys end up in the bathroom on the washing machine. Things are like playing hide-and-seek with you in your own home.

Who would have thought that forgetfulness or falling on the flat place is not accidental and at the same time curable? If this happens to you, sleep well and give the body a rest from all possible irritants, and the memory will return to you.

5. You're gaining weight.

Nothing is as comforting on a gloomy evening as coffee with cream and a small cookie. A juicy ham or pork knuckle is a great mood enhancer.

Why at certain times I want to eat sweets and fat? The mechanism is simple: after the stress hormones trigger the "fight or flight" response, the brain begins to prepare for the fact that it will need extra energy anyway, and it is fastest to get it from caloric foods, fats and sugar.

6. Intestinal Disorders.

In a stressful situation, blood rushes to vital organs to keep them functioning in the first place. These organs in a life-threatening situation are the respiratory system, the heart and the brain (which is why our hands and feet get cold when we are anxious).

Our overflowing stomach and intestines are only a hindrance to fighting or running.

If our intestines become agitated for several days for no apparent reason or if we experience vague stomach pains, although we eat as usual, it's worth thinking about stress as the cause of this phenomenon and to start with a light meal, and in the long term to consider this feature of our body before a potentially stressful situation and to follow a gentle diet.

7. You scratch a lot.

Of course, not as obviously and vigorously as cats and dogs do. Sometimes you scratch your eyebrow or the tip of your nose several times in a row, or you think an insect has landed on your hand and needs to be swept away. Such repetitive actions are also a psychosomatic symptom of stress.

8. You hear a ringing in your ears.

Very sudden. Tinnitus - tinnitus in medical parlance - doesn't give anyone much trouble, but sometimes you suddenly start hearing it literally every day. Oddly enough, it often coincides with New Year's Eve festivities or preparations for some important event.

9. You have to visit the dentist more often

Tooth grinding in dreams and the habit of clenching one's teeth occur against a background of stressful experiences. This phenomenon is called "bruxism," and is not so harmless because it causes wear and tear on the tooth enamel and the upper surface of the teeth to such an extent that it is noticeable even during a visit to the doctor.