A hereditary vulnerability and concerns such as economic or political uncertainties, a decreasing quality of life, looming unemployment, and fear of old age or abandonment has led to a general increase in persons who report stress. Other contributing factors include insufficient regular leisure or physical activity, poor diet, an inadequate family structure and lack of a support network. These personal, social, economical and dietary factors interact with biological factors to make stress a leading cause of ailments, from a simple heartburn to a decrease in immune responsiveness, and from this to cancer and other diseases. In the past few decades a large body of research has confirmed a connection between stress and disease, and between stress management and a reduced risk of, or reduced morbidity and mortality from, certain diseases.

One of the pioneers of modern stress research, the physician/physiologist Hans Selye, was the first to invoke the concept of a physiological response to a wide variety of stressors, both psychological and physical. He coined the term 'general adaptation syndrome' (GAS) to describe the physiological process by which the organism responds to stressors and attempts to re-establish homeostasis. The syndrome consists of three phases: alarm, resistance and exhaustion.

During the alarm stage the organism detects a stressor and responds with activation of the sympathetic nervous system and adrenal medulla, the so-called ‘fight or flight reaction’ during which the body's defenses are mobilized. The second stage, resistance, recruits the pituitary-adrenocortical axis to permit the organism to achieve optimal adaptation and maintain homeostasis. Exhaustion results when the organism depletes its adaptive resources and may give rise to disease or even death.

Selye identified ‘diseases of adaptation’ which include, amongst others, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, peptic ulcer, hyperthyroidism and asthma.

Treatment should involve taking time enough from your schedule to evaluate your life and priorities. Take time to reflect about your choices, your social and family life, work, study and even financial conditions. A stressed-out person should rethink their life, mostly by identifying the sources of stress and make efforts to resolve them. Wise counseling can be very helpful.

When you are under stress, cortisol may be literally eating away at your muscle building potential. An excess of cortisol can lead to a progressive loss of protein, muscle weakness, atrophy, and loss of bone mass through increased calcium excretion and less calcium absorption.

When organic disease is already installed as a result of stress, be it a simple gastritis, a cardiac or lung disease, asthma, allergies, or any suspected stress-related condition, it is important to seek medical help as soon as possible. Specific treatment may be required for these ailments. Simple changes however, such as more exercise, improving nutrient status, making more free time, or changes in life habits may be enough to resolve the problem.

Another list of tips includes: listening to others, sending encouraging notes, saying "thank-you", laughing, smiling, sharing - and imagine this - praying.