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On Your Mind: Ways to respond to the physical effects of stress, anxiety on the body

In addition to anxiety and depression, doctors warn elevated stress can also lead to increased blood pressure, high cholesterol, migraines and stomach problems.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It's safe to say: we've all been there.

You're in the car driving to a very important meeting or interview. You have a big project you need to present to a group of your peers and boss. 

You begin to feel a pit in your stomach. Everything feels tight. Palms begin to sweat. Mouth starts to get dry.

Those are just some of the immediate effects that a stressful situation can have on the body. For some, it's not so bad. For others, however, things can get a little more intense, especially if those side effects are prolonged or accompanied by other symptoms. 

"This 21st century we’re dealing with the modern plague -- and that is stress --  as we pursue the American dream or pursuit of happiness -- many times we neglect those signs of stress, which is irritability, anxiety," said Dr. Ionnis Liras, a sports medicine physician for Christus Spohn Health in Corpus Christi, who sees athletes of all ages, but also helps treat primary care conditions in patients. 

He says more of his patients, athletes and non-athletes alike, are talking about stress and the physical impacts they're seeing it take on their bodies.

"As stressful as it is to talk about such a difficult topic, it’s important to build rapport with the clinician, with the family members to identify those stress levels that are increasing," Dr. Liras said. 

Some of the effects of stress on the body include: tense muscles, headaches, difficulty sleeping or focusing on tasks. 

Dr. Liras also warned of some of the more serious effects that elevated stress can take on the body include: increased blood pressure, anxiety, depression, high cholesterol, migraines, and stomach problems.

"It can affect your GI tract, it can affect your stomach, it can lead to exasperation of acid reflux, it can lead to irritable bowel syndrome."

So, what can you do? As with most things, a little bit goes a long way. 

Dr. Liras' tips for viewers include: prioritizing sleep more, add in more exercise to your routine, watch your diet and do more of what you love, like hobbies or exploring fun, new interests. Also, make note of any changes to your body:

"We should never ignore little changes that happen in our body - whether it’s physical appearance, changes like acne or skin changes that can be associated with stress, but even if we notice higher fatigue levels difficulty performing appropriately we should seek help with that," Dr. Liras said. 

"We see that everyday. We see it at the high school level, at the pediatric population, we see it in our elite athletes; that stress can really impact how you perform. It can really prevent you from achieving those goals." 

Someone who knows her goals well and what it takes to achieve them is Texas A&M Corpus Christi junior and track athlete Capri Wilson. 

For Capri, the track is like a second home. She says her team is like a family who constantly encourages her to do her best. She never backs down from a challenge, even when it's against herself.

"I plan to break my school record in the 100m dash. I plan to break the 200m dash record as well," said Capri. "Everybody’s getting faster, everybody’s getting stronger, it’s just a great journey." 

Capri has been running track since she was in the 4th grade. She says it was  her sophomore year of high school when she fully realized how great she was at it and wanted to try her best to pursue it at the college level.

Flash forward to now, and she's doing just that! 

But even a track star like Capri knows the importance of balance, and it doesn't come easy.

"It's really tough. To anybody who plans on coming to college or going to school as a student athlete, it’s very hard," said Capri, that despite all her track achievements, school does come first.

"Sometimes, races dont go how you want them to go. Sometimes meets don’t go how you want them to go. Sometimes the assignments don't go how you want them to go. Maybe I just messed up on an exam and now I have to go out run a race, and that just went bad. But just know that you’ll always be okay. Pick yourself up. You put in the work you studied. You do all your work. You know that you’ll be okay."

Capri is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. Between school and the pressures that come with running competitively, she says keeping her mental well-being in check is also a priority, and wants the same for her peers.

"I know the mental toll that sports can take on you in general, and I know that being in school, the mental toll it can take on you in general, so get help. We have multiple resources all around the world," Capri said.

"We want you to be the best. You want to be the best. So, do what you need to be the best and that means taking care of yourself, mentally and physically."

Helping to nurture that mind-body connection is where athletic trainers like Jerry Hilker come in. 

In his near 20 years with the university, he's seen a lot and worked with a lot of athletes. Hilker says that in recent years, more of them are becoming comfortable and more vocal about their mental health.

"In the college setting, Mom and Dad might be a phone call away or a FaceTime away, but we’re here and we’re here to help step in and be that person," Hilker said.

"It's a great opportunity for more light to be shed on mental health and what does that mean and what does it look like? For us, we’re encouraging people to just talk about it."

Hilker works one-on-one with athletes on everything ranging from simple ankle injuries to helping them bounce back from a major, traumatic injury: a recovery that goes well beyond the physical. 

"The mind-body connection is really important as we go through the steps of assessing a concussion. Getting a clinical diagnosis of the concussion and managing the concussion, because you can't just turn your brain off," Hilker explained. 

"So, how do you use it? Well, a lot of times it plays in behavior, sometimes not all the time. A lot of things affect behavior, so we need to try and control some of those parameters such as taking a break off of social media, other things that influence and affect our mind and our brain and our reactions to stimuli to the brain like light, such as noise."

It is likely safe to assume that the majority of us reading this article are not student athletes, or training like one. 

Regardless, what Hilker, Wilson and Dr. Liras all recommend when stress becomes too much: 

- Listen to your body (after all, no one knows it better)

- Make adjustments to your lifestyle (they don't have to be drastic, a little change to your sleep, diet, and exercise can go a long way) 

- And be vocal, and don't be afraid to loop in a medical expert when you are needing some extra help 

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