8 Silent Signs Stress Is Making You Sick

Practise self-care to tame your inner worrywart and keep illness away

- Alyssa Jung

1 Unusual weight changes

Stress triggers the release of the hormone cortisol, which changes the way you metabolize fat, protein and carbs. “Excess cortisol slows down our metabolism,” says Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, head of internal medicine, Max Healthcare, New Delhi. Stress can also cause you to overeat or undereat.

WHAT TO DO Snack on nuts. Why? “Stress tampers with our brain’s reward system and may cause us to crave more fat and sugar,” warns Budhiraja. The protein will help if you’re under-eating, and the fibre will fill you up if you’ve been bingeing.

2 Breaking out in rashes

When your body experiences stress, it releases a chemical called histamine and— boom—rashes galore. When your immune system is weakened by stress, your skin can react to irritants it was never sensitive to, such as heat, lotions or detergents.

WHAT TO DO Use a cold compress or take a cold shower. If that fails, check with your doctor and pop an antihistamine.

3 A fuzzy brain