| How Does Stress Affect Health? | | | | There are other answers to the question of how |
| Many are now asking the question, "How does | | | | does stress affect health. For example, there is |
| stress affect health?" If you too are asking then | | | | an immune system protein called interleukin-6. |
| you have taken the first step to dramatically | | | | People under serious stress have been found to |
| improving your health. Some health experts are | | | | have much higher levels of this protein than |
| convinced that stress is the largest health problem | | | | people under little or no stress. Interleukin-6 in |
| in America. However, this often goes unnoticed | | | | large amounts has been associated with various |
| because the damage stress does to our health | | | | diseases like some cancers, infections, rheumatoid |
| often gets blamed on other diseases and | | | | arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease. |
| conditions. One study said that 75% of all visits to | | | | Can you believe that? Who would have thought |
| primary care physicians are stress-related. | | | | that this answers the question of how does |
| How Does Stress Affect Health? - It's In The | | | | stress affect health. |
| Immune System | | | | Another part of the problem in answering the |
| So, how does stress affect health? Well, as you | | | | question of how does stress affect health is that |
| probably already know, your body's immune | | | | people don't truly understand exactly what stress |
| system is what keeps you healthy from all kinds | | | | is. If you ask most people, they may respond by |
| of diseases, from relatively benign ones like the | | | | saying stress is caused by worrying about |
| common cold to more serious ones like bronchitis. | | | | something like money. This is not entirely true. |
| People who get sick all the time probably have | | | | Acute stress is easier to recognize because you |
| weak immune systems while those who rarely | | | | can feel it right now. On the other hand, chronic |
| get sick most likely have strong and powerful | | | | stress is more subtle. For example, all people |
| immune systems. What few people know is that | | | | experience some stress after any big life change, |
| stress, and more importantly chronic stress, | | | | including getting married. Getting married is a |
| actually weakens the immune system, thereby | | | | wonderful and joyful event for people so they |
| limiting its ability to fight off even the most | | | | are not aware that it is also bringing with it a |
| harmless of illnesses. | | | | certain level of stress. It's just harder to notice. |
| This should shed a lot of light on the question of | | | | However, that stress will still inflict harm on your |
| how does stress affect health. Someone who | | | | immune system. So you can see that asking the |
| gets a cold every other week may just think | | | | question of how does stress affect health is so |
| they are unlucky or just happen to always be | | | | important. |
| around people who have colds. This is not so. | | | | Asking, "How does stress affect health?" is an |
| Someone with a strong immune system could be | | | | important questions for you to start asking |
| ingesting cold viruses all day long but they never | | | | because it may be causing you serious health |
| get a cold because their immune system is | | | | problems with you even knowing. The next |
| capable of destroying them. So, if you get a lot | | | | question you should ask is "How do I effectively |
| of colds you may in fact not be managing your | | | | relieve stress? |
| stress effectively. | | | | |