Stress comes about when the body reacts (usually suddenly) to certain situations either mentally, emotionally, or physically. Stress is a part of our everyday lives, born of events that take place all around us. They could be triggered by something/someone external, our own body, or our own thoughts. The effects of stress could either be good or bad, depending entirely on how one handles them. How Does Stress Affect Health? Stress when handled positively is beneficial to us. It helps keep us alert, active, and more energetic. When stress gets too much it turns into distress, and if we handle it in a negative manner, it begins affecting us physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is really bad for us because it can strain our relations with everyone around us and deteriorate our physical and mental condition. How Does Stress Affect Your Overall Health? When stress is handled in a negative manner it usually leads to depression. To come out of this depression, many take the harmful help of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, all of which give a sense of stress relief. In reality, your body still remains stressed, and these substances just help make matters worse. Stress effects on the body can be physical, physiological, and psychological. The physical, physiological, and psychological effects of stress will all vary from person to person depending upon factors such as age, physical and mental health, attitude and outlook towards life, and the level of stress. The following are some of these effects: -- Hair loss or early graying of hair -- Problem remembering things -- Poor concentration -- Poor judgment -- Hypersensitive and extreme moodiness -- Concentration on the negative factors -- Confused mind -- An urge to get away (isolate) from everyone and everything -- Sudden and unwarranted anger -- Irritation brought on with the slightest of triggers -- Overreaction to any situation -- Loss of confidence -- Eating too much or too little -- Sleeping too much or too little -- Sudden increase in alcohol/tobacco consumption -- Disturbed sleep, leading to a host of other problems -- Constant headache -- Severe digestive problems (constipation, diarrhea) -- High blood pressure -- Breathing problems -- Feeling tired constantly (even when you wake up in the morning) -- Irregular heartbeats -- Muscle tension and severe muscle pain A combination of one or more of these health effects can lead to one or more of the following diseases. -- Severe substance abuse -- Insomnia -- Heart problems -- Stroke -- Hypertension -- Extreme eating disorders -- Severe weight-gain or weight-loss -- Ulcers -- Severe depression -- Infertility -- Skin problems -- Missed or irregular periods in women Effects of Stress on the Immune System Stress causes our immune system to weaken, leading to poor health and falling ill regularly. The following are some immune system disorders that are caused and/or affected by stress. -- Eczema -- Psoriasis -- Ulcerative colitis -- Oral and genital herpes -- Crohn's disease Most of the above mentioned conditions and diseases can be avoided (if they are stress induced) if we know how best to manage stressful situations positively. Seek professional help if required. It is better that we control stress, than stress controlling us. Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.