When you are in a stressful situation, nearly all your body systems are affected. From the heart and blood vessels to your immune system, your body makes modifications to meet a perceived danger.

Acute stress is described as the short-term fight or flight response; it is an immediate reaction to a threat. Acute stress can be easily triggered by noise, confined spacing, danger and even hunger. Chronic stress, on the other hand, is long-term. This stress can be depicted as the on-going stresses in the workplace, relationship or personal problems and persistent financial difficulties. Contemporary stress tends to be more pervasive, persistent and insidious because it stems primarily from psychological than physical threats.

Although people respond to stress in different ways, both acute and chronic stress can lead to health risks. Common health risks associated with stress include: muscle tension, back pain, circulatory diseases, gastrointestinal problems, compromised immune system, eating disorders and cardiac diseases.

If you experience any of these common symptoms of stress on a regular basis, you may need to discuss stress with your healthcare provider: unusual tiredness, hearth palpitations, muscle tensions, loss of or excessive apetite, dificulty sleeping or sleeping too much, irritability, moodiness, sadness or feeling overwhelmed.

"What happens in the mind of man is always reflected in the disease of his body"

René Dubos