An update on physiological effects of stress

Abstract

The awareness of stress was increased after World War II when it was noticed that many routine life events like examinations, growing up increases stress and leads to dysfunction. Stress has both positive and negative impact. Up to a limited level of threshold, stress may be beneficial. However, beyond this level, there will be sharp fall in the productivity. The current article reviews the effect of stress on different body systems. Stress contributes to development of many diseases and consequently decreases quality of life. As stress is unavoidable in present day life style, it must be managed effectively to improve the quality of life. Hence it is essential to understand the effects of stress on different body systems to develop effective interventions for stress management