Understanding Stress

Sidetrack Your Stress
No matter the source of your stress, it can produce physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that can affect any part of the body.

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)
Atopic dermatitis is a hereditary and chronic skin disorder that mostly affects infants and young children, but may last until a child reaches adolescence or adulthood.

Heart Attack
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply is cut off from the heart muscle, usually because of a blood clot. Without blood and oxygen, the muscle cells are damaged and die.

How to Fight Stress-Related Diseases
No one can avoid all stress -- and a certain amount actually is good for you. But it's always best to keep unhealthy levels in check when possible.

Inflammation: The Body's New Bad Guy
Chronic inflammation damages the inside of coronary arteries and leaves them prone to plaque that clogs the blood vessels. That leads to clots that cause heart attacks.

Insomnia
If you experience difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or enjoying a restful night's sleep, you may be suffering from insomnia.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
A person with IBS has a colon that is more sensitive and reactive than usual, so it responds strongly to stimuli that would not affect other people.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a condition that often follows a terrifying physical or emotional event—causing the person who survived the event to have persistent, frightening thoughts and memories of the ordeal.

Stress Can Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
Mental stress does more than diminish your sense of well-being. It also can increase your risk for heart disease.

The Lowdown on High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure, you need to know, so you can control it. If you don't, you increase your risk for serious illness.