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Effects of stress
 The effects of stress on health are numerous and often unappreciated. There are physical effects of stress, psychological effects of stress, emotional effects of stress – as well as effects of stress on performance and efficiency. While the effects of stress are usually viewed as harmful, there can also be some beneficial effects of stress.
The effects of stress differ since things that are distressful for many people can be pleasurable for others. The effects of stress vary because we also respond to stressors in individual ways. The effects of stress in some might be palpitations or hypertension, the effects of stress in others might be “agita” or diarrhea, and the effects of stress in a few might include itching or hives. Such physical effects of stress could also include musculoskeletal effects of stress such as spasm or low back pain.
Because people react differently to stress, the effects of stress can be different for each of us. The American Institute of Stress has a list of 50 common signs and symptoms of the effects of stress and a diagram showing the effects of stress on different parts of the body. A good illustration of the important effects of stress can be seen from surveys showing that 75 to 90 % of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints.
The psychological and emotional effects of stress also vary. These effects of stress often depend on the nature of the stressor. The effects of stress due to the death of a loved one are apt to be sadness and depression. The effects of stress resulting from an argument with your boss or an important client might be manifested more by feelings of anger, resentment, or frustration. Job stress is the leading source of stress for American adults and the occupational effects of stress have been shown to increase risk of heart attacks and sudden death.
Psychological and emotional effects of stress are often emphasized because their relationships to some stressor are apt to be more apparent, particularly with respect to depression, post traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks. However, the effects of stress also include various physical signs and symptoms as well as physical diseases. These effects of stress are frequently due to disturbances in cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and immune system function. Heart attack, hypertension, stroke and sudden death are some of the cardiovascular effects of stress. Gastrointestinal effects of stress include "agita", ulcers and colitis and the effects of stress on the skin can vary from mild itching or rashes to severe hives. Other adverse effects of stress on the immune system reduce resistance to colds, herpes, AID and possibly some viral linked cancers.
In fact, it is hard to think of any disorder that cannot be aggravated by the effects of stress. Good health depends on the ability of the body to maintain its equilibrium whenever it is threatened by the effects of stress. This “steady state”, or homeostasis is achieved by automatic and integrated endocrine and nervous system responses designed to restore normal balance that has been disrupted by the effects of stress.
The good news is that there are many ways that you can reduce the negative effects of stress. The first thing to do is to identify sources of stress to see if you can prevent or avoid the harmful effects of stress. In some instances, such as the loss of a loved one, it may be impossible to avoid the effects of stress. You can reduce the annoying effects of stress by learning appropriate stress reduction techniques. However, just as stress and the effects of stress differs for each of us, no stress reduction technique is a panacea. You have to find what works best for you.
The American Institute of Stress can help you identify which approach might best help you reduce the harmful effects of stress or possibly prevent them. Additional information on the varied effects of stress can be found at Topics of Interest and other www.stress.org pages.
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