Stress can be found year round, but with the added stresses of the holiday season, women are really feeling the pressure. The modern woman gained responsibility and respect in the work-field and along with that came added stress.
“Women have more unique roles. For example, during the holidays who are the ones who tend to do most of the shopping and take care of everything else involved with it,” said Kathy Kleinert, a Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Coordinator for Florida International University’s Women’s Health Service Center. “Other countries have different lifestyles and different stresses. We in the United States try to do too much.”
Stress is defined by womenshealth.about.com as any change in your normal routine or health. Stress occurs when bad things happen as well as positive things take place.
“There are good stresses and bad stresses. Good stresses can be anything from a vacation to a new marriage, new job or a new baby. Some women have negative stress when they move in to a new city,” said Kleinert.
The 2007 Stress and Anxiety Disorders Study, a report examining the effects of anxiety and disorders and everyday stress on sleep, which was conducted by Anxiety Disorders of America, found that seven out of ten adults in the United States say they experience stress or anxiety daily. Adults, which most likely reported daily stress or anxiety, were under the age of 55, 91 percent were between the ages of 18 and 24. The study also showed that women showed to be much more likely than men to experience stress, 56 percent of women compared to 39 percent of men. About 72 percent said stress interferes at least moderately with their lives. This is up from the 67 percent, which was reported in a similar study in 2005.
“Women worry more about pregnancy and more different kinds of stress and have different responses to stress than men do,” said Kleinert.
According to womenshealt.about.com, scientists agree that stress causes actual chemical changes in the brain, and these changes can influence the state of your health.
“When I get stressed out my blood pressure drops and causes me to feel dizzy and light headed,” said Natalia Salas, 26, Miami. “Sometimes I even faint. When this happens my doctor told me to eat a banana and drink orange juice. The high potassium in the banana helps the neurons in the brain relax.”
“Physical symptoms caused by stress such as a change in your period cycle, weight gain or weight loss, problems with conceiving – those can be signs of your hormones being affected by stress,” said Kleinert.
Stress can appear in many forms and there are various different signs you should pay attention to. The signs differ from person to person. Stress can show through headaches, back or neck pains, fatigue or insomnia, irritability, inability to concentrate, loss of appetite, as well as with problems with your gastrointestinal tract and gastritis.
“I started getting severe migraines almost on a daily basis so I had to see a neurologist,” said Alicia Palma, 27, Coral Gables. “He tested me and told me the migraines were caused by stress. They would start as tension headaches and then progress into migraines. He prescribed something for temporary relief but actually suggested I change careers or at least location before ending up on antidepressants. I could not believe this was all due to work related stress.”
Right now Palma is trying to deal with the stress she faces as a Catering Manager for the Biltmore Hotel. “I can’t keep getting sick like this,” said Palma.
The study by Anxiety and Disorders of America also found that about one-third of the people reported to have had an anxiety or panic attack due to stress.
“I've developed stress induced panic attacks and have been prescribed Xanax to take when necessary,” said Kerry Ball, 31, Miami. “My first anxiety/panic attack was so bad I thought I was dying or having a heart attack so I went to the emergency room. “
Stress can be caused by a variety of factors: work, school, relationships or even everyday duties. For Ball dealing with a long distance relationship turned out to be the stressful factor.
“This all started when I was in a long distance relationship,” said Ball. “Everyone said it was that, causing the stress. I didn’t agree because yes, while I was in a long distance relationship at the age of 24, everything was going really good and there were no problems.”
Ball has experienced heightened stress levels since that time in her life.
“I feel I need to watch out for it and keep an eye on my stress for fear of causing another panic attack,” said Ball.
In order to cope with stress first you have to recognize the signs. Some things you can do according to Kleinert are first recognizing the source of your symptoms. If it’s not medical then what’s going on in your life? What are the things you can control? You should try to cut back on school work, try to cut back on your expenses, and that way you can also cut back work hours. Anything you can control or remove from your daily routine to relieve the stress will be helpful.
“If under stress for a long period of time you can experience depression, substance abuse, heartburn, ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome,” said a Registered Nurse at South Miami Hospital.
If your stress is caused by things you cannot change, you must learn to react and cope. Kleinert suggests, in order to relieve stress try to do different things. Think of what it is that you like? Do things to enhance your life. For example: dance, paint, socialize, run, or read.
“Yoga is very helpful because stress causes tension. Yoga is great to stretch and relax muscles,” said Kleinert. “Exercise in any form is good. It just depends what you like to do.”
Ball tried yoga and meditation to help lower her stress levels after experiencing her panic attack.
Other’s go for something a little more intense.
“For stress release, I spin,” said Lorena Lama, 31, Miami.
Some relieve stress by enjoying the simple pleasures of taking time to relax at home and unwind.
“ I drink a glass of wine and it helps me a lot,” said Denise Nunez 33, Miami.
However, drinking should not be something women turn to for relief. Socializing, exercising, breathing techniques, a massage or even talking to a friend are the recommendations for relief form the South Miami Hospital nurse.
“Stress can cause depression, which can cause withdrawal from relationships and then people go to alcohol and drugs, said Kleinert. “We have to get back to basics. Be with friends, eat good food, and some people also get relief from spiritual things such as prayer.”
Others enjoy the everyday things that at times might go overlooked with all the daily duties to complete.
“For me it’s to play games with my niece and nephews,” said Elizabeth Rodriguez, 32, Miami. “There is just something so special to hear and see children laughing.”
Ways to relieve stress:
Breathing techniques that can help you release tension:
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