Stress and Your Health

F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
de-stress. But it’s important to find
those ways. Your health depends on it.
Stress and
Q: What are some early signs of
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stress?
Your Health
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A: Stress can take on many different
forms, and can contribute to symptoms
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of illness. Common symptoms include
Q: What are some of the most
headache, sleep disorders, difficulty
common causes of stress?
concentrating, short-temper, upset
A: Stress can arise for a variety of reasons.
stomach, job dissatisfaction, low
Stress can be brought about by a trau-
morale, depression, and anxiety.
matic accident, death, or emergency
situation. Stress can also be a side effect
Q: How do women tend to react to
of a serious illness or disease.
stress?
There is also stress associated with daily
A: We all deal with stressful things like
life, the workplace, and family respon-
traffic, arguments with spouses, and job
sibilities. It’s hard to stay calm and
problems. Some researchers think that
relaxed in our hectic lives. As women,
women handle stress in a unique way:
we have many roles: spouse, mother,
we tend and befriend.
caregiver, friend, and/or worker. With
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Tend: women protect and care for
all we have going on in our lives, it
their children
seems almost impossible to find ways to
I have two full time
suffered?traffic going home doesn’t help my
jobs—I’m a customer
mood, and when I got there, I was just so
service center manager
tired I didn’t want to do anything! But I was
and a mom of two
faced with making dinner and doing laun-
young kids. I see myself
dry. My kids need my attention too!
as a happy person and
I wanted to handle my stress before it got
a hard worker. But last
the best of me. I talked with my boss about
month, the commute
working later hours so I don’t run into so
to work, my job, the
much traffic and am in a better mood when
chores around the house, and trying to
I get there and get home. I asked my hus-
spend enough time with my kids was really
band to pick up the kids from school, and
stressing me out. I have to get up really
he has offered to help more with dinner
early in the morning to get the kids ready
and the laundry.When he cooks, I go for a
for school, then it takes me so long to get
bike ride with my kids. I also started setting
to work that I’m in a bad mood by the time
five minutes aside in the morning and in the
I get there. My office is short-staffed and
afternoon at work for me to relax and take
we had a lot of deadlines to meet so I was
a deep breath.These small changes have
working overtime. My home life
made a big difference in my life!
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F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
?
Befriend: women seek out and
more likely to get sick. It can also make
receive social support
problems we already have worse. It can
During stress, women tend to care for
play a part in these problems:
their children and find support from
?
trouble sleeping
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their female friends. Women’s bodies
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headaches
make chemicals that are believed to
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promote these responses. One of these
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constipation
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chemicals is oxytocin (ahk-see-toe-sin),
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diarrhea
which has a calming effect during
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irritability
stress. This is the same chemical
released during childbirth and found at
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lack of energy
higher levels in breastfeeding mothers,
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lack of concentration
who are believed to be calmer and
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eating too much or not at all
more social than women who don’t
breastfeed. Women also have the hor-
?
anger
mone estrogen, which boosts the effects
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sadness
of oxytocin. Men, however, have high
levels of testosterone during stress,
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higher risk of asthma and arthritis
which blocks the calming effects of
f lare-ups
oxytocin and causes hostility, with-
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tension
drawal, and anger.
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stomach cramping
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stomach bloating
Q: How does stress affect my body
and my health?
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skin problems, like hives
A: Everyone has stress. We have short-
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depression
term stress, like getting lost while driv-
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anxiety
ing or missing the bus. Even everyday
events, such as planning a meal or mak-
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weight gain or loss
ing time for errands, can be stressful.
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heart problems
This kind of stress can make us feel
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high blood pressure
worried or anxious.
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Other times, we face long-term stress,

irritable bowel syndrome
such as racial discrimination, a life-
?
diabetes
threatening illness, or divorce. These
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neck and/or back pain
stressful events also affect your health
on many levels. Long-term stress is real
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less sexual desire
and can increase your risk for some
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harder to get pregnant
health problems, like depression.
Both short and long-term stress can
Q: What are some of the most
have effects on your body. Research is
stressful life events?
starting to show the serious effects of
A: Any change in our lives can be stress-
stress on our bodies. Stress triggers
changes in our bodies and makes us
ful?even some of the happiest ones like
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F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
having a baby or taking a new job.
ularly if others did not survive the trau-
Here are some of life’s most stressful
matic event.
events.
Most people who are exposed to a trau-
?
death of a spouse
matic, stressful event have some symp-
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?
divorce
toms of PTSD in the days and weeks
following the event, but the symptoms
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marital separation
generally disappear. But about 8% of
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spending time in jail
men and 20% of women go on to
develop PTSD, and roughly 30% of
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death of a close family member
these people develop a chronic, or
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personal illness or injury
long-lasting, form that persists
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marriage
throughout their lives.
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pregnancy
Q: How can I help handle my
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retirement
stress?
From the Holmes and Rahe Scale of Life
A: Don’t let stress make you sick. As
Events (1967)
women, we tend to carry a higher bur-
den of stress than we should. Often we
Q: What is post-traumatic stress
aren’t even aware of our stress levels.
disorder (PTSD)?
Listen to your body, so that you know
A: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
when stress is affecting your health.
Here are ways to help you handle your
can be a debilitating condition that can
stress.
occur after exposure to a terrifying
event or ordeal in which grave physical
?
Relax. It’s important to unwind.
harm occurred or was threatened.
Each person has her own way to
Traumatic events that can trigger
relax. Some ways include deep
PTSD include violent personal assaults
breathing, yoga, meditation, and
such as rape or mugging, natural or
massage therapy. If you can’t do
human-caused disasters, accidents, or
these things, take a few minutes to
military combat.
sit, listen to soothing music, or read
a book.
Many people with PTSD repeatedly re-
experience the ordeal in the form of
?
Make time for yourself. It’s
f lashback episodes, memories, night-
important to care for yourself.
mares, or frightening thoughts, espe-
Think of this as an order from your
cially when they are exposed to events
doctor, so you don’t feel guilty! No
or objects that remind them of the
matter how busy you are, you can
trauma. Anniversaries of the event can
try to set aside at least 15 minutes
also trigger symptoms. People with
each day in your schedule to do
PTSD also can have emotional numb-
something for yourself, like taking a
ness, sleep disturbances, depression,
bubble bath, going for a walk, or
anxiety, irritability, or outbursts of
calling a friend.
anger. Feelings of intense guilt (called
?
Sleep. Sleeping is a great way to
survivor guilt) are also common, partic-
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help both your body and mind.
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F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
Your stress could get worse if you
therapy can be helpful. There also
don’t get enough sleep. You also
are medications that can help ease
can’t fight off sickness as well when
symptoms of depression and anxiety
you sleep poorly. With enough
and help promote sleep.
sleep, you can tackle your problems
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?
Compromise. Sometimes, it’s not
better and lower your risk for illness.
always worth the stress to argue.
1-800-994-9662
Try to get seven to nine hours of
Give in once in awhile.
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sleep every night.
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Write down your thoughts. Have
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Eat right. Try to fuel up with
you ever typed an email to a friend
fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
about your lousy day and felt better
Good sources of protein can be
afterward? Why not grab a pen and
peanut butter, chicken, or tuna
paper and write down what’s going
salad. Eat whole-grains, such as
on in your life! Keeping a journal
wheat breads and wheat crackers.
can be a great way to get things off
Don’t be fooled by the jolt you get
your chest and work through issues.
from caffeine or sugar. Your energy
Later, you can go back and read
will wear off.
through your journal and see how
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Get moving. Believe it or not, get-
you’ve made progress!
ting physical activity not only helps
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Help others. Helping someone else
relieve your tense muscles, but helps
can help you. Help your neighbor,
your mood too! Your body makes
or volunteer in your community.
certain chemicals, called endorphins,
before and after you work out. They
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Get a hobby. Find something you
relieve stress and improve your
enjoy. Make sure to give yourself
mood.
time to explore your interests.
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Talk to friends. Talk to your
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Set limits. When it comes to things
friends to help you work through
like work and family, figure out
your stress. Friends are good listen-
what you can really do. There are
ers. Finding someone who will let
only so many hours in the day. Set
you talk freely about your problems
limits with yourself and others.
and feelings without judging you
Don’t be afraid to say NO to
does a world of good. It also helps to
requests for your time and energy.
hear a different point of view.
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Plan your time. Think ahead
Friends will remind you that you’re
about how you’re going to spend
not alone.
your time. Write a to-do list. Figure
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Get help from a professional if
out what’s most important to do.
you need it. Talk to a therapist.A
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Don’t deal with stress in
therapist can help you work through
unhealthy ways. This includes
stress and find better ways to deal
drinking too much alcohol, using
with problems. For more serious
drugs, smoking, or overeating.
stress related disorders, like PTSD,
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F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
Q: I heard deep breathing could
Q: Does stress cause ulcers?
help my stress. How do I do it?
A: Doctors used to think that ulcers were
A: Deep breathing is a good way to relax.
caused by stress and spicy foods. Now,
Try it a couple of times every day.
we know that stress doesn’t cause
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Here’s how to do it.
ulcers—it just irritates them. Ulcers are
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1 Lie down or sit in a chair.
actually caused by a bacterium (germ)
called H. pylori. Researchers don’t yet
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2 Rest your hands on your stomach.
know for sure how people get it. They
3 Slowly count to four and inhale
think people might get it through food
through your nose. Feel your stom-
or water. It’s treated with a combina-
ach rise. Hold it for a second.
tion of antibiotics and other drugs. ?
4 Slowly count to four while you
exhale through your mouth. To
control how fast you exhale, purse
your lips like you’re going to whis-
tle. Your stomach will slowly fall.
5 Repeat five to 10 times.
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F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
For More Information . . .
You can find out more about stress by contacting the National Women’s Health
Information Center (NWHIC) at 1-800-994-9662 or the following organizations:
WomensHealth.gov
1-800-994-9662
National Institute of Mental Health
American Psychological Association
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Phone: (301) 443-4513
Phone: (800) 374-2721
Internet Address:
Internet Address: http://www.apa.org
http://www.nimh.nih.gov
Anxiety Disorders Association of
National Mental Health Consumers’
America
Self-Help Clearinghouse
Phone: (240) 485-1001
Phone: (800) 553-4539
Internet Address: http://www.adaa.org
Internet Address:
http://www.mhselfhelp.org
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Phone: (800) 950-6264
National Mental Health Information
Internet Address: http://www.nami.org
Center
Phone: (800) 789-2647
National Center for Post Traumatic
Internet Address: http://www.mental-
Stress Disorder
health.org
Phone: (802) 296-5132
Internet Address: http://www.ncptsd.org
American Institute of Stress
Phone: (914) 963-1200
National Mental Health Association
Internet Address: http://www.stress.org
Phone: (800) 969-6642
Internet Address: http://www.nmha.org
American Psychiatric Association
Phone: (703) 907-7300
Internet Address: http://www.psych.org
All material contained in the FAQs is free of copyright restrictions, and may be copied, reproduced,
or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the Department of Health and
Human Services; citation of the source is appreciated.
Content last updated August 1, 2005.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health

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