Stress Symptoms- Is There Any Difference Between Men And Women?

Men and women; they are not just different genders but there are significant differences between them when it comes to attitude, behavior and perspective towards life. Stress symptoms too vary from men to women as do their responses. Now there are a number of reasons why members of different genders exhibit unlike stress symptoms stress symptoms  of which lifestyle habits and hormones are the most important factors. Below are the most commonplace and noticeable physical as well as psychological differences in the stress responses of men and women.

 Stress Symptoms Observed In Men

Following stress symptoms are observed in Men during extremely stressful conditions.
•    Weakness and fatigue.  Men are prone to suffer severe physical and mental exhaustion under consistent stress conditions.  Reduced endurance level, loss of energy and stamina, unrelenting sense of weariness capture his senses and thus reduce his concentration and focus significantly. 
•    Loss of memory Loss or deficiency of memory under stressful circumstances is common in men. Forgetfulness might affect his daily schedules, meetings and personal commitments.  As the problem becomes too acute, medical consultation might be necessary. 
•    Irregular sleeping patterns  Sleep disorders are common in stressed out men. They might sleep too much or the sleeping hours might be reduced noticeably. Both of these conditions might cause fatigue, insomnia and depression.
•    Physical symptoms Physical manifestations of stress include chest pain, palpitations, high blood pressure, headaches, increased sweating, constipation, obesity, indigestion, reduced sex drive, impotency and alcohol or drug abuse.

Stress Symptoms Observed In Women

Women are prone to experience anxiety and stress more often than men. Stress can be incurred by unhappy personal relationships, insecurity, workplace hassles and physical disorders. Following are the stress symptoms common in women.
•    Headaches caused by stress are known as tension headaches and they affect women frequently. As a result of persistent stress women might get headaches, back pain or acute stomach cramps everyday!
•    Digestive disorders, diarrhea, constipation and irregular bowel movement could be signs of stress. Also unbalanced eating and reduced appetite might cause stomach ulcers in women.
•    Irregular sleeping patterns and sleeplessness are effects of stress. Chronic insomnia might cause reduced concentration, physical fatigue and severe headaches.
•    Difficulty in breathing, asthma attacks and spasm are common stress symptoms in women.
•    Abnormal menstruation, loss of sex drive and other feminine problems might result as effects of stress.

Why Do Stress Symptoms Vary In Men And Women?

Oxytocin, epinephrine and cortisol are the three important hormones that regulate stress responses in men and women. Under stressful conditions, cortisol and epinephrine together increase sugar and pressure level in blood whereas cortisol alone reduces body’s immunity power. Oxytocin is produced in much less amount in men than women. Cortisol helps in releasing stress responses and pressure induced by stress. Hence the stress symptoms seem to be more acute in men than women.
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