4. Stress can affect the immune system.
The NIMH says chronic stress can elevate the chances of getting the flu, a cold or other virus. In addition, stress can make vaccines less effective.
5. The effects of stress increase as time passes.
The health effects of stress may not be present immediately. For example, heart disease may not occur for years. This can make for an unpleasant surprise when it comes to health issues that develop many years down the road.
6. There are two factors that play a part in how you respond to stress.
According to the Mayo Clinic, two things can affect how you respond to stress. These two things are genetics and life experiences.
There are genes that play a part in how we respond to stress. Most of the time, we are calm, and the body kicks into fight-or-flight just once in a while. However, if we overreact or underreact to stress, this may be a result of genes.
Life experience also plays a part in how we handle stress. For example, reacting to something in a stressful way may be a result of trauma. This is why abuse victims, crash victims and even police officers may experience stressful reactions related to trauma.