How Does Stress Affect Health?
Individuals experience a number of physiological symptoms in response to stress, such as sweaty hands, racing heart, nausea, headaches or muscle tension.2 Stress is related to many physical problems, such as diabetes, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, coronary heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders, low back pain, asthma, skin disorders, and tension headaches.3,4,5,6,7,8 Stress can impair a person’s ability to pay attention and can cause people to continually think about situations or triggers that are perceived as stressful.9 Individuals who experience stress may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed.10,11 Some people cope with stress by overeating, smoking, drinking, or isolating11, which in turn reduces a person’s ability to cope effectively. When an individual is feeling stressed, they may become hostile or irritable towards others, and so a cycle of stress affected relationships can become an ongoing vicious cycle, leading to more st
