Stress and Fibromyalgia

Stress plays a big role in the pain of fibromyalgia suffers. Some believe that a significant stressful event is sometimes the cause of the condition itself. There are different kinds of stress that can affect the individual suffering from fibromyalgia that include physical, psychological, and things like noise.

Physical stress can cause the pain to become worse. This happens when a person over exerts themselves in daily activities or exercising. The physical stress from this takes a toll on the muscles more than it would in a normal person and causes extreme pain in the fibromyalgia sufferer.

Psychological stress can cause the pain to become worse. If subjected to a heavy workload the stress can cause problems for someone with fibromyalgia, even if it wouldn't normally bother someone else. Dealing with normal home problems such as a problem teenager can increase the psychological stress causing an increase in the level of pain the sufferer is feeling. Even something like social anxiety can cause the symptoms of fibromyalgia to flare up and become worse than usual.

Other types of stress can cause an increase in fibromyalgia symptoms. The stress from bright light can cause headaches that are associated with fibromyalgia. Certain odors can also cause headaches and stomach problems in a fibromyalgia sufferer. Noise can bother and increase symptoms of the condition in a person.

There are ways to handle and minimize everyday stress in a person’s life. Some stress can be avoided some of the time such as bright light and noise. Be careful not to overdo daily activities or exercise. Do not take on more work than you can handle at work or at home. Take a walk when psychological stress is affecting you. This helps you to relax and release the negative energy.