Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.

Considerations

Stress is a normal feeling. There are two main types of stress:

• Acute stress is short-term stress that goes away quickly. You feel it when you slam on the brakes, have a fight with your partner, or ski down a steep slope. It helps you manage dangerous situations. It also occurs when you do something new or exciting. All people have acute stress at one time or another.
• Chronic stress is stress that lasts for a longer period of time. You may have chronic stress if you have money problems, an unhappy marriage, or trouble at work. Any type of stress that goes on for weeks or months is chronic stress. You can become so used to chronic stress that you don’t realize it is a problem. If you don’t find ways to manage stress, it may lead to health problems.

Stress and Your Body

Your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones. These hormones make your brain more alert, cause your muscles to tense, and increase your pulse. In the short term, these reactions are good, because they can help you handle the situation causing stress. This is your body’s way of protecting itself.

When you have chronic stress, your body stays alert, even though there is no danger. Over time, this puts you at risk for health problems, including

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Depression or anxiety
• Skin problems, such as acne or eczema
• Menstrual problems

If you already have a health condition, chronic stress can make it worse.

Signs of Too Much Stress

Stress can cause many types of physical and emotional symptoms. Sometimes, you may not realize these symptoms are caused by stress. Here are some signs that stress may be affecting you:

• Diarrhea or constipation
• Forgetfulness
• Frequent aches and pains
• Headaches
• Lack of energy or focus
• Sexual problems
• Stiff jaw or neck
• Tiredness
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Upset stomach
• Use of alcohol or drugs to relax
• Weight loss or gain

U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Library of Medicine (NLM), Medline Plus. (Updated 2019, October 2). Stress and your health. Retrieved November 7, 2019, from https://medlineplus.gov

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