Stress: Causes, Symptoms & Management

Stress can manifest in many different ways, resulting in physical symptoms of stress and emotional symptoms of stress — neither of which are good for overall health and wellbeing. The Mental Health Foundation reported that 74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. 

Let’s begin by helping you to identify life stressors, symptoms of stress, and healthy ways to manage stress. A proactive self-care routine should aim to reduce day-to-day stress and improve quality of life. 

Signs Of Stress

To better manage stress in your life it helps to be able to recognize stress symptoms, which are essentially your body's response to situations that require your attention or action.

Common stress responses include: 

• Worry
• Anxiety 
• Tension
• Strain 
• Anger
• Irritation
• Annoyance 
• Being tired all the time

You body can’t send you an email or DM you if stress is causing harm — your body will try and flag unhealthy stress levels to you in other ways, including: 

• Panic attacks 
• Trouble sleeping 
• Extreme fatigue 
• Chest pains
• High blood pressure
• Difficulty breathing
• Stomach issues like heartburn
• Severe headaches 
• Muscle pain 

These signs of stress should be taken seriously if they are interfering with your day-to-day activities, work, and emotional life. If you or a loved one are experiencing concerning symptoms of stress and anxiety it is recommended you seek out the help of a qualified health professional (i.e., family doctor, psychologist, counsellor).

What Causes Stress?

It is almost unbelievable how many things can trigger stress. Some of the big things that cause stress are: 

• Emotional trauma
• Death of a loved one
• Divorce 
• Job loss
• Depression 
• Low self-esteem
• Moving
• Financial stress
• Sickness or injury

Causes of stress can also get more specific. For instance: 

• Hair loss later in life is stressful
• Menopause and postmenopausal bleeding can be frustrating
• Adult skincare concerns like acne and psoriasis can be traumatic
• Weight gain can cause stress
• Anxiety is risk factor for urinary incontinence

When it comes to these specific stress outcomes, Este Medical has successful and proven treatments that can help you improve your quality of life.

Effective Treatments to Target Stress-Related Conditions

Does stress cause hair loss? 

Stress and hair loss can be linked together. Hair loss related stress is most often due to telogen effluvium, which is a type of hair loss. With telogen effluvium, severe stress causes a large number of hair follicles into a resting phase.

Signs to look for include: increased hair shedding, thinning hair, and patches of missing hair. Este Medical has effective options for this type of stress-related hair loss, we recommend you book a hair loss consultation to discuss which treatment is best suited to you. 

• FUE Hair Transplant for Men
• Laser Hair Growth Therapy 
• PRP combined with Mesotherapy 

Can stress cause acne? 

Stress has a long history of showing up on the skin — acne, psoriasis, rosacea, skin rashes, and eczema for instance. When the body is under stress it releases cortisol which can cause increased oil production, and that can lead to clogged pores and acne breakouts.

It’s unfortunately pretty common for stress to cause spots, but there are many clinical treatments that can help stressed skin. Este Medical has numerous skincare treatments that target acne. Here are some of our most popular Este treatments to destress your skin! 

• HydraFacial 
• ClearSkin Laser 
• LED Phototherapy
• Magic Needle 

We recommend you come to Este for a Visia Digital Skin Analysis to determine the best skincare treatment for your problem skin.

Can stress cause postmenopausal bleeding? 

When it comes to periods, stress is most commonly associated with disrupting the menstrual cycle. Any bleeding between periods should be discussed with your family doctor or gynaecologist regardless of your age or whether you are in menopause. According to the NHS, postmenopausal bleeding may be caused by thinning of the vaginal lining.

Menopause can be a wonderful and sometimes frustrating experience for females. At Este Medical we have several treatments that address the physical changes most women will experience with perimenopause and menopause, like hair loss, changes to the vagina, skin laxity, and pigmentation. Visit our page dedicated to learning more about menopause and message us to start a discussion about any of our anti-ageing body and skin treatments.

Can stress cause weight gain? 

Sadly, stress plays a big role in weight gain. A body under stress will gain weight, and stress also makes it harder for the body to burn calories.

For instance, the bad stress hormone cortisol can cause weight gain and mess with your metabolism; comfort food eating to reduce stress will cause weight gain; and stress-reducing activities like drinking alcohol and smoking don’t help with weight loss.

One way you can combat stress-related weight gain is by engaging in daily exercise at any age! Being fit gets your body to release happy hormones, helping to reduce stress levels. If low self-esteem and a negative body image is getting in your way, you might want to consider non-surgical and surgical cosmetic treatments to help reshape your figure and lose weight. 

• Tummy tuck 
• CoolTech fat freezing 
• Fat dissolving injections
• Emsculpt body sculpting

Send us a message through our website to talk about your beauty goals and weight loss expectations so we can recommend the best treatment plan to get the body you want. 

Can stress cause incontinence? 

Anxiety and incontinence have a way of making things worse for each other. Anxiety can be a risk factor for developing urinary incontinence, as anxiety stress can amplify the urge to pee for example.

Este Medical has a pelvic floor machine treatment called Emsella that provides non-invasive pelvic floor stimulation to strengthen and tighten muscles around the bladder and bottom. We recommend regular Emsella pelvic floor muscle treatments along with behaviour modification (e.g., bladder training) to alleviate an incontinence stress response.

Tips on how to manage stress

You probably have heard of some of these tips before, but top tips like reducing stress with exercise and healthy eating really work! Stress management is something we all need to be more proactive about.

Here are stress management techniques for you to try! 

• Take a break from social media and doom scrolling 
• Make a date with your best friends for a walk in nature
• Book a hot stone massage or hammam spa treatment 
• Visit a juice bar for lunch 
• Read a book while having a bubble bath 
• Have a relaxing facial 
• Try guided meditation
• Go to a yoga class focused on deep breathing 
• Slow down, skip the bus and walk a few blocks 

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And most importantly, seek professional help if you need it. Nobody will judge you for taking action to be in the best frame of mind and being mindful about your personal health.

If you would like to speak to an Este professional about any health concerns like hair loss, incontinence, acne skin, or weight gain, then just send us a message.