Stress: MedlinePlus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

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Stress: MedlinePlus



A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Stress

Also called: Psychological stress

Everyone feels stressed from time to time. Not all stress is bad. All animals have a stress response, and it can be life-saving. But chronic stress can cause both physical and mental harm.

There are at least three different types of stress:

• Routine stress related to the pressures of work, family, and other daily responsibilities
• Stress brought about by a sudden negative change, such as losing a job, divorce, or illness
• Traumatic stress, which happens when you are in danger of being seriously hurt or killed. Examples include a major accident, war, assault, or a natural disaster. This type of stress can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Different people may feel stress in different ways. Some people experience digestive symptoms. Others may have headaches, sleeplessness, depressed mood, anger, and irritability. People under chronic stress get more frequent and severe viral infections, such as the flu or common cold. Vaccines, such as the flu shot, are less effective for them.

Some people cope with stress more effectively than others. It's important to know your limits when it comes to stress, so you can avoid more serious health effects.

NIH: National Institute of Mental Health

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Adjustment disorder
• Stress and anxiety
• Stress in childhood
• Stress management

Related Topics

• Anxiety
• Mental Health
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Mental Health and Behavior

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Stress is the National Institute of Mental Health

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• Start Here

  • Managing Stress(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Stress(National Institute of Mental Health)
  • Stress: How to Cope Better with Life's Challenges(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Also available in Spanish

• Overviews

  • Chronic Stress Puts Your Health at Risk(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Different Kinds of Stress(American Psychological Association)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Manage Stress(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
  • Stress Management(American Heart Association)

• Latest News

  • Stress Tied to Worse Allergy Symptoms(04/18/2014, HealthDay)
  • Could Reducing Stress Help Bring on a Migraine?(04/01/2014, HealthDay)
  • Post-Katrina Heart Woes Persisted at Least 6 Years(03/25/2014, HealthDay)
  • Stress and Fertility(03/24/2014, HealthDay)
  • Stress and Headaches(02/20/2014, HealthDay)
  • More News on Stress

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Listening to the Warning Signs of Stress(American Psychological Association)
  • Stress Symptoms: Effects on Your Body and Behavior(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

• Alternative Therapy

  • Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Relaxation Techniques for Health: An Introduction(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
  • Tai Chi: A Gentle Way to Fight Stress(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Time to Talk: 5 Things to Know about Relaxation Techniques for Stress(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
  • Yoga: Fight Stress and Find Serenity(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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• Coping

  • Being Assertive: Reduce Stress, Communicate Better(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Coping with Stress: Workplace Tips(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Managing Your Stress in Tough Economic Times(American Psychological Association)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Positive Thinking: Reduce Stress by Eliminating Negative Self-Talk(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Road to Resilience(American Psychological Association)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Social Support: Tap This Tool to Reduce Stress(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Spirituality and Stress Relief: Make the Connection(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Stress Management: Reexamine Your Stress Reactions(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Stress Relief: When and How to Say No(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Tips to Reduce Stress(National Center for Farmworker Health) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Disease Management

  •  Exercise for Stress and Anxiety(Anxiety Disorders Association of America)
  • Live Your Life Well(Mental Health America)
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• Specific Conditions

  • Broken Heart Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • JAMA Patient Page: Acute Emotional Stress and the Heart(American Medical Association) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • JAMA Patient Page: Chronic Stress and the Heart(American Medical Association) -PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Related Issues

  • Adjustment Disorders(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • How Stress Affects Your Health(American Psychological Association)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Job Burnout: Spotting It - and Taking Action(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Job Stress(American Psychological Association)
  • Psychological Stress and Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
  • Stress and High Blood Pressure: What's the Connection?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Stress and Skin(American Academy of Dermatology)
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• Health Check Tools

  • Test Your Stress Smarts!(American Psychological Association)
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• Tutorials

  • Managing Stress(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Stress, Psychological(National Institutes of Health)
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• Research

  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
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• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Genetic reaction to stress may explain many hearts attacks. An...
  • Article: Scotland: the mental health of a nation examined.
  • Article: 'Toxic climate' causing increasing mental health issues for young people.
  • Stress -- see more articles
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• Directories

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
  • Mental Health Treatment Program Locator(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  • Psychologist Locator(American Psychological Association)
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• Organizations

  • National Institute of Mental Health
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• Statistics

  • Stress in America(American Psychological Association)
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• MedlinePlus Magazine

  • Can Prolonged Stress Affect Whether Breast Cancer Returns?
  • How to Fight Stress and Ward Off Illness
  • Stress and Your Brain
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• Children

  • Childhood Stress(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Feelin' Frazzled...?(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Got Butterflies? Find Out Why(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers(American Psychological Association)
  • Signs of Overload(American Academy of Pediatrics)
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• Teenagers

  • Feeling Stressed(Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
  • Teens and Stress: Who Has Time for It?(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • What Stresses You Out about School?(Nemours Foundation)
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• Women

  • Stress and Mood(National Cancer Institute, Tobacco Control Research Branch)
  • Stress and Your Health(Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
  • Also available in Spanish
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• Patient Handouts

  • Adjustment disorder
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Stress management
  • Also available in Spanish
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