Everybody undergoes stress which can sometimes affect one’s ability to live a normal fulfilling life and diminish productivity at work or at home. According to Dr Yvonne Thuo, a general practitioner based in Mater Hospital, Nairobi stress is, “anything that causes a challenge or threat to our well being and is normally a natural part of life.” Stress can occur as a result of basic body processes such as hunger and fatigue.

The good and the bad stress

Stress can help us “learn and grow” which is normally good stress or it can be harmful to the body, hence bad stress. Initially as one is exposed to stress, “the performance usually increases since people try to compensate for the stress until such a point where if it continues or prolonged one gets tired, performance stagnates and reaches a breaking point,” she says. “At this level, one’s health can worsen due to burn out and breakdown. Therefore it is important to recognize and manage stress before one reaches the harmful level of breaking point.”

Causes of stress

Routine stress can occur due to daily work schedule including work, home activities and school curriculum.  

“Stress can also occur as a result of sudden negative changes in one’s life such as loss of job, divorce and separation, illness, death of a close friend or relative. It can also result from traumatic events such as physical assault, road traffic accidents, war and natural disasters.”

Some internal body factors can make one vulnerable to harmful stress. Such includes poor nutritional status, inadequate sleep, lack of physical fitness, suffering from chronic illness and inadequate social support system. “Lack of adequate social support system can make one vulnerable to stress since one does not have people to discuss with their issues,” she says. “Unfavorable emotional well being such as suffering from mental illness makes one at risk of a stress.”

Changes such as becoming a parent, pregnancy and the related complications, and bereavement are highly stressing events.

External factors such as living in an overcrowded environment, highly polluted environment can worsen stress. “Job related issues and financial stress are a significant source of stress in our society today.” Uncertainty such as rumors can easily lead to stress.  

Lack of proper personal identity can lead to stress. “A man whose identity is financial ability can easily suffer bad stress more than the one who identifies himself first and the financial ability as secondary”

External factors can be complicated by the internal factors. “If one loses a job and they lack the necessary support system, such as lack of spouse or family member who can help them out, they are likely to suffer stress more than a person who has a spouse to support them,” she says.

Presentation of stress

“Different people feel stress in different ways and it is not very easy sometimes to diagnose stress in yourself,” says Dr Thuo. “People around you usually can tell if there are things one does differently or changes in habits.”

The common signs and symptoms of stress can include, “sleep disturbances such as sleeping more or less than usual, muscle tension or aches, unnecessary fatigue, neck pains, headache, indigestion, hyperacidity and lower back pains. People with preexisting medical conditions such as diabetes, and hypertension can worsen. An asthmatic patient can easily get an attack without being exposed to the common triggers,” she says.

Other symptoms include, erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, fainting spells, feeling pity for no obvious reasons. Emotional and behavioral symptoms can include, nervousness, fearfulness, feelings of anxiety, and changes in eating patterns which can be, “eating too little or eating too much leading to loss or gain of weight.”

Some people lose enthusiasm or lack energy leading to withdrawal. “A person can easily lose their preferred activities such as meeting up with friends or reading a book,” She says. “Mood changes can lead to easy irritability, anger or annoyance over things that would not make someone as such previously.”

Stress can manifest itself as feelings of insecurity in relationships, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, overwhelming sadness and greater tendency to engage in unhealthy behavior. “Many people result in taking alcohol and drugs to counter their stress. Others can quit their jobs.”

“If one is stressed it important that they see their doctor to investigate on the causes of the stress and how to deal with them and to rule out medical causes of stress and to make sure that their already existing conditions do not worsen,” advises Dr. Thuo.