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