Amina AlTai is a marketing professional who has achieved success in her career.
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AminaAlTai had always prided herself on her drive and resilience. When she began experiencing brain fog and fatigue, Ms. AlTai, 39, simply thought it was from working long hours in her marketing job. So she started writing down reminders to keep herself on track. But then her hair started falling out, she gained and lost a lot of weight and she started having gastrointestinal issues.
For doctors and patients, this overlap can be confusing: Is stress the sole cause of someone’s symptoms, or is something more serious at play?
If people are stressed for weeks or months, their bodies may be unable to keep up as well with other functions, leading to problems like forgetfulness, fatigue and trouble sleeping. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol can chronically elevate blood pressure or increase plaque deposits , which can damage the heart over time, Dr. Hattemer said.