Stress does not affect all individuals in a similar manner although there are fairly common signs. Stress impacts on many aspects of our lives, be it in our physical well-being, in our emotional state and in our mental performance. It is a normal part of living life to experience certain amounts of stress but, for the sake of our health, we must learn to control it. If you find that you often experience symptoms of stress, such as the ones we'll be discussing below, you should seek a way to deal with it, even if it means getting outside help.

One of the first signs of extreme stress is an upset stomach that may well develop into more serious illnesses like heartburn, constipation and diarrhea. Medical advice may be necessary in these cases but stress is often the underlying trigger for the health issues. Think of this scenario: When you feel so anxious and so tense about something, your stomach seems to be filled with butterflies or you experience hyperacidity. If you're stressed out while you're eating this is a recipe for heartburn or a stomach ache. You should learn to separate your eating time from your worrying time, so to speak, so as to avoid these stress-related stomach problems. Unfortunately, stress also has a negative impact on our choices of food so much so that we choose unhealthy comfort food, say, junk foods, which provide instant gratification instead of going for the healthy choices.

Others may turn to impulse buying as a means of releasing their stress. A few examples of impulse purchases might be a shopping spree or trip to the casino for some gambling. Retail therapy can make you feel better for a while but isn't a solution. The inability to pay your bills or the mounting debt from shopping could lead to more stress. Keep your spending under control so that you won't stress yourself out.

People who are under a lot of stress can often experience frequent headaches. Headaches are normal and have a variety of causes, but if you are experiencing them frequently, then you should have it checked out by a doctor. The worst type of stress related headache is a migraine, though migraines can also have other causes.

Along with headaches, stress can also lead to dental problems because you tend to clench your jaw or grind your teeth. As you can see, these are just a few examples of symptoms that can get worse over time if you don't deal with your stress now. Many people find that when they learn to manage their stress that their physical symptoms vanish.

It must be emphasized that the symptoms discussed here are not all-inclusive since the reactions to stress are as many as there are individuals who suffer from it. Life today is fast paced and unpredictable, which can lead to stress in a number of areas. The good news is that we may not be able to control the environment and people around us but we have the capacity to successfully deal with our stress.