Very few adults can claim to live a stress-free life. For some people, it’s their job. For others, it’s family or finances. For some, it’s their health or the health of a loved one.

Ironically, being in poor health can both cause stress and be caused by stress. All those daily strains can wear at you physically and mentally. Over time, they can cause real health problems.

Some health problems that can be caused or made worse by stress include:

Headaches. Tension headaches and migraines both can be triggered by stress. The best treatment for migraines varies from one person to another. Tension headaches, on the other hand, can often be relieved by relaxing and focusing on positive thoughts. The more you focus on negative thoughts (including how much your head hurts), the more stressed you feel and the longer the headache will last.
Gastrointestinal/digestive problems. Conditions like acid reflux, ulcers, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) aren’t caused by stress, but they are frequently made worse when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Weight gain/obesity. Stress eating, of course, can cause you to gain weight. In addition, one of the hormones your body releases during stress, cortisol, triggers your body to store fat around your waist. Gaining weight may not be a huge problem by itself, but it puts you at a much greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, joint/back problems, and other health risks.
Diabetes. Stress doesn’t cause diabetes, of course, but it can trigger a rise in blood glucose levels for people with Type 2 Diabetes. And again, stress eating can create real problems. For diabetics, eating the kind of “comfort foods” most people crave when they’re stressed can be dangerous if not controlled very carefully.
Anxiety and depression. It goes without saying, if you’re already dealing with depression and/or anxiety, experiencing stress in your life will frequently make your symptoms worse.
Hair loss. Sudden, intense stress can cause a type of hair loss called Telogen Effluvium, where your hair basically drops out of the growth phase into the resting phase all at once. When the resting phase is over, the natural step is for hair to fall out. Hair that is lost from Telogen Effluvium usually grows back. Stress can also trigger Trichotillomania, an obsessive-compulsive need to pull or pluck your own hair, eyebrows, etc. People who suffer from Trichotillomania often benefit from therapy and/or medication that helps reduce their anxiety.

How people react to stress is directly connected to how much their health is affected. Some people seem to just roll with whatever is stressing them out, staying calm and relaxed no matter what. Others feel the strain more strongly and are more likely to have physical or mental health problems as a result.

Most of your reactions to stress are under your control. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to control your reactions. It takes practice, commitment, and sometimes help from outside sources, but you can learn to reduce your negative reaction to the stress in your life. The more positive your reaction to stress, the less effect it has on your health.

If you’re too stressed out and don’t know how to bring your stress down to a reasonable level, don’t be afraid to seek out help. Sometimes all you need is a good friend or family member that you can talk to. Sometimes, a counselor, therapist, or doctor can assist you with strategies or even medicines to help you cope.

The real key, no matter whether you’re doing it alone or working with someone else, is to look for and try solutions. Just venting does little to help reduce your stress because it brings your problems to the forefront of your mind. Focusing on solutions instead of problems helps you move past the negative to eventually find the positive.