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Stress is the response in our body to either the threat or needs of the new situation. Humans are genetically programmed to defend themselves against these new situations by what's called "fight or flight" - to confront something head-on or to flee from it. In scientific lingo this is called "alarm" and "resistance". So when were stressed, our bodies pump out the hormone called adrenaline to help us make a decision, our heart speeds up, we breathe more quickly to take in more oxygen, our blood sugar goes way up, and we start to sweat. If whatever's causing the stress goes away, our bodies go back to normal, although we may feel temporarily exhausted by the ordeal. If the stress stays, however, total exhaustion is likely to result. We have no more energy left and simply can't cope. Eventually this can cause both emotional and physical problems that damage your health.
We have all heard about Type A people. They don't just get mad, they get apoplectic, they're aggressive, demanding, impatient, competitive, often perfectionists who are very hard on themselves if they ever make the teeniest mistake. They can be hell to work for and live with. Extremely ambitious, they don't seem ever to take a moment to smell the roses and relax. Well, most Type A people are setting themselves up for trouble, for it's been shown that they're definitely more prone to heart diseases and other ailments.
But you don't have to be a Type A person to have stress-related medical problem. Stress affects our immune system, which means we're less able to fight off diseases and more susceptible to everything from colds to flu to accidents. It can cause high blood pressure, ulcers, migraine headaches, back pain, insomnia, and bad eating habits. If you refuse to acknowledge stress, it keeps on growing, like a bad cavity, getting worse and worse and feeling upon itself until you are ready to pop.