How Stress Affects Health

Stress, the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events that we appraise as threatening or challenging (Meyers, 550), can be a positive force, motivating people to get there work done, or, when ‘distress’ comes into play, can threaten the mind and the body. It has been found the prolonged distress can harm the body, reducing its immunity to disease and increasing people’s susceptibility to chronic diseases. While it is apparent stress can cause symptoms of illness such as headaches and chest pains, many are unaware of the strength stress has on health (American Psychology Association). Stress affects health in many ways, one of these is through the reduction of the body's immunity to diseases. It is apparent now more than