Mental stress is a severe health concern in the recent times. A large number of people – cutting across age and gender – succumb to it. Stress is worse than many common medical conditions because it affects both physical and mental health.
Impact of stress on women is usually more severe than that on men, opine Dr Hikmat Naoum – a renowned gynaecologist associated with the Gynaecology Clinic located at Harley Street in Marylebone, London. It particularly affects the female reproductive system.
The stress epidemic is so strong and powerful that it affects everyone in the society including children, students, adults, professionals, and teachers, workers, old and young.
Stress results in hormonal imbalance, which in course of time extract a hefty toll on the general health and wellbeing of any woman. Moreover, it’s important remembering that there are certain stages of life – like childbirth, puberty and menopause – when hormones in a female body are already under sufficient pressure. The problem turns even more complicated at these stages when stress creeps in making life more difficult for the individuals.
Today women face more challenges than ever at homes, at work and even in the society. In pursuing ‘successful’ life with children and career they are pressed with a never-ending time crunch and exhausted energy level in a chronic manner. Although both men and women suffer from stress in worse ways but somehow women reveal more physical symptoms of it than men.
As a woman, you have to understand your stress factors and how constant stress takes toll on your body to maintain optimum health and fitness along with affecting your mental health and wellbeing.
Common stress symptoms in females
The common symptoms of stress in women include the following:
- Feeling tense
- Excess eating
- Severe mood swings
- Getting irritated easily
- Failing memory and power to concentrate
- Feeling helpless
- Increased dependency on smoking and alcohol
Amenorrhea – the condition of periods stopping under stress
One of the most distressing symptoms of stress is periods being stopped. This happens because menstruation is controlled by the pituitary gland, which remains connected to the central nervous system and the hypothalamus. When any of these organs gets disturbed, it’s obvious for the menstrual cycle to get disrupted.
Stress can prevent your menstrual cycle for up to 3 months. If the problem still persists despite you’re not on any kind of birth-control measure, then you must visit your gynaecologist or any other specialist doctor without delay.
Hair loss – a common physical symptom resulting from stress
Both mental and physical stress cause hormonal imbalance in the body. Imbalance in the level of certain hormones triggers physical symptoms and illnesses. These include:
- Oestrogen
- Testosterone
- Thyroid
- Nor-adrenaline
- Adrenaline
- Cortisol
Stress in today’s society may result from anything and everything. This includes aggressive traffic, unsuccessful relationships, work-related matters and others. Studies show that severe issues related to mental health like post-traumatic stress disorder not only results from war-zones, battlefields and severe natural disasters but also from typical situations we face in everyday life.
Hair loss causes because of hormonal imbalance. If you suffer from this condition, do get yourself tested. A well woman test will not only bring out the real condition of your health but also put your mind at ease.
Stress level and fertility
Being conceived with a baby is not easy. Before getting conceived, you must be physically healthy and strong enough to carry a baby in the womb. Certain factors lead to hormonal imbalance in the body, which affects your overall physical system including the reproductive system. These include the following:
- Being underweight
- Being overweight
- Stressed
- Overall unfit
- Sedentary lifestyle
It is indeed very difficult to get conceived when you’re so badly stressed that your menstrual cycle has stopped or become irregular.
When you are trying for a baby, try knowing your menstrual cycle better so that you can pick out the best times when you are more likely to get conceived. Women suffering from any kind of ovulation disorder are like to experience difficulties in having baby.
Effective tips controlling stress
Menopause and childbirth automatically trigger their own stress levels. As a result both your physical and mental health is affected. Nearly 1 out of every 5 women suffers from depression during menopause. If various physical symptoms of stress keep plaguing you for long, you should visit your gynaecologist or a specialist doctor without delay. General examination and clinical testing under the supervision of a specialist healthcare provider will help you deal with the issues easily.
Lifestyle control has a major role in managing daily stress. Develop a healthy food habit including fresh, green, crunchy vegetables and fruits that are rich in fibre and vitamins. Doctors at a widely trusted well woman clinic in London suggest avoiding alcohol, processed and refined fatty foods and caffeine. Sleep well, do little exercise on regular basis also prove very helpful to tackle the problem of stress.
