Can stress lead to tummy troubles? Yes. Can stress make it harder for you to kick a cold? Yes. Your stress really could be making you sick. Stress often starts in your head with a worry or a fear, but those feelings of anxiety, and perhaps even panic, don’t stay there. When you feel stressed, your body ramps up production of the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. This triggers the start of the stress response, and, like a snowball rolling down a mountain, it gains traction and speed until you’re ready for the proverbial attack.

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, causing your heart to beat faster and ultimately raising blood pressure. Cortisol can interfere with the function of the inner lining of your blood vessels, triggering plaque buildup in your arteries, and increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. While an occasional stress response is normal and even healthy, ongoing, constant stress is not. On the contrary, it’s the recipe for sickness, from chronic diseases to acute infections.

When stress becomes chronic, your immune system becomes less sensitive to cortisol, which actually heightens the inflammatory response. This makes you more susceptible to getting sick, and it also makes it more difficult for you to recover from an illness.

Some of the most common conditions that are caused or worsened by stress include: cardiovascular disease, anxiety, frequent colds, hypertension, memory loss, sexual dysfunction, insomnia and fatigue, appetite changes, depression, infertility and irregular cycles, trouble concentrating and digestive problems.

Managing stress is often easier said than done, but your physical, mental and emotional health depend on it. What you do for stress relief is a personal choice, as your stress-management techniques must appeal to you and, more importantly, they must work for you. If a round of kickboxing helps you get out your frustration, then do it. If meditation is more your speed, that's fine too. To learn more about stress management techniques, click here.