Your stress response might help you catch yourself if you trip, or steer your car to avoid a crash. But today's stress, especially when caused by psychological or emotional factors, can be prolonged and can have damaging effects on your health. Health Effects of Stress Stress can cause sleep problems, leaving you fatigued and vulnerable to accidents and illness. It can cause anxiety, nervousness and irritability, making it difficult to get along with people. Stress can affect your concentration, making you perform poorly at school or on the job.
Stress can cause weight gain or weight loss.
Stress seems to weaken the immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds and other diseases, possibly even some types of cancer. Stress can spur you to abandon healthy habits, such as exercising and eating well, which may in turn create other health problems. Stress may not actually cause digestive problems, but it can be a contributing factor that makes them worse. Stress is also an important contributing factor in many conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, headaches, arthritis and even menstrual disorders. These are concrete physical effects of stress, but they may be caused by stress that is either real or perceived.