| Stress and the immune system play a vital | | | | effects of stress and the immune system. |
| role in your life and overall health. | | | | Increases in chemicals produced by your body |
| Day-to-day stressful events affect how your | | | | that help with nerve conduction cause changes |
| body responds to fighting illnesses. | | | | in your heart rate and blood vessels, |
| Stressful events that occur on a short-term | | | | compromising the immune system's response |
| basis can change the way your immune systems | | | | when you enter situations that cause you |
| responds temporarily. Responses from the | | | | stress. |
| immune system to short-term stresses can | | | | |
| actually be helpful in some cases, | | | | To help lower the chances that stress and the |
| redistributing cells in a positive manner to | | | | immune system will negatively affect your |
| help your body adapt as a quick-fix. | | | | daily life, you can take steps such as eating |
| Moderately stressful events, however, can | | | | right, getting regular exercise and getting |
| have a damaging impact on your body's immune | | | | plenty of rest. Your body needs you to take |
| system, while traumatic and chronic stress | | | | care of it so that it can help take care of |
| can compromise your immune system's ability | | | | you. Eating healthy and nutritious foods is |
| to perform. | | | | a good place to start. Consumption of foods |
| | | | such as orange vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, |
| Individuals react differently to stressful | | | | squash, and sweet potatoes) help with the |
| situations: some experience more | | | | Vitamin A your skin needs to help prevent |
| physiological changes when under pressure | | | | bacteria from getting into your body. Lean, |
| than others. Stress and the immune system | | | | low-fat beef and certain types of mushrooms |
| can bring about conditions in which your | | | | containing zinc promote the building of white |
| body's cells can actually be suppressed and | | | | blood cells to help fight infection. Tea, |
| rendered unable to engage in their useful | | | | fortified cereals and yogurt also aid in |
| functions of protecting your body against | | | | keeping your immune system functioning well. |
| infections. | | | | |
| | | | You can also try to keep your stress levels |
| From one stressful presentation you have to | | | | at a minimum -- easier said than done for a |
| make at work, to the everyday traffic | | | | lot of people. Practice deep-breathing |
| congestion that can turn into road rage, | | | | exercises and other anxiety-calming |
| stress and the immune system play a | | | | techniques to try to reduce your stress |
| significant role in your overall health. If | | | | levels. Stress and the immune system can |
| your body's immune system isn't functioning | | | | negatively impact your body's health and well |
| properly, all sorts of germs, bacteria, | | | | being when stress gets out of hand and your |
| viruses, and diseases have the opportunity to | | | | immune system isn't up to its job. Stress is |
| pass into your system to cause you more | | | | a physiological process, but you can take |
| grief. | | | | psychological steps to rein it in and get |
| | | | control over the situation before it gets out |
| Diabetes, ulcers, heart attacks, and asthma | | | | of control and causes an illness to befall |
| are just a few conditions made worse by the | | | | you. |