A Review on the Effect of Stress on Diseases

Abstract

    The concept of stress, despite being as old as human history, has often been a challenging process to define. Due to the personal nature of the causes of stress experienced by each individual, it can be said that everyone has their own unique experience of stress. Stress is one of the prevalent health issues of our time. Any situation that creates a difference in our daily lives can be a source of stress. Stress has led to an increase in diseases and behavioral disorders associated with stress worldwide. Events, conflicts, and problems encountered in daily life can also affect the level of stress. Recognizing stress, returning to its source, and adopting a conscious approach to reduce its effects are important steps. Stressful situations in an individual's life serve as negative environmental stimuli that activate the body's fight or flight response, affecting the endocrine and nervous systems. Research has examined the effects of stress on physical health. In the last decade, the effects of depression and stress on heart diseases have become more prominent. If chronic stress persists for a long time, symptoms can range from mild discomfort to fatigue, anxiety, digestive problems, headaches, and skin issues. While long-term stress is known to be harmful, short-term stress lasting minutes or hours is thought to have protective effects on the immune system. Acute stress can lead to effects such as increased traffic of dendritic cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes in the immune system, maturation and development of cytokines, and increased cytokine production at local and systemic levels. The effects of stress on conditions such as cardiovascular diseases,cancer, clinical depression, and HIV/AIDS are well known. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and completely eliminating stress is quite challenging, as stress factors exist in many aspects of life and some are necessary for success, energy, and growth. Developing coping strategies and making efforts to restore inner balance are important. This can involve various methods such as improving stress management skills, seeking support, or problem-solving.