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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Mental Health Status of World Trade Center Rescue and Recovery Workers and Volunteers—New York City, July 2002–August 2004." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 53 (September 10, 2004): 812-815.






1. forcibly exerted influence; pressure.
2. in dentistry, the pressure of the upper teeth against the lower.
3. a state of physiological or psychological strain caused by adverse stimuli, physical, mental, or emotional, internal or external, that tend to disturb the functioning of an organism and which the organism naturally desires to avoid. stress reactions are elicited but should these reactions be inappropriate or inadequate, they may lead to disease states. The term is also used to refer to the stimuli that elicit such a state or stress reactions. Just as a bridge is structurally capable of adjusting to certain physical stresses, the human body and mind are normally able to adapt to the stresses of new situations. However, this ability has definite limits beyond which continued stress may cause a breakdown, although this limit varies from person to person.

Physical Stress. There are many kinds of physical stress, but they can be divided into two principal types, to which the body reacts in different ways. There is emergency stress, a situation that poses an immediate threat, such as a near accident in an automobile, a wound, or an injury. There is also continuing stress, such as that caused by changes in the body during puberty, pregnancy, menopause, acute and chronic diseases, and continuing exposure to excessive noise, vibration, fumes, chemicals, or other agents.

The body's reaction to emergency stress is set off by the adrenal medulla. The medulla of each adrenal gland is directly connected to the nervous system. When an emergency arises, it pours the hormone epinephrine into the bloodstream. This has the effect of speeding up the heart and raising the blood pressure, emptying sugar supplies swiftly into the blood, and dilating the blood vessels in the muscles to give them immediate use of this energy. At the same time, the pupils of the eyes dilate. (See also alarm reaction.)

The reaction of the body to continuing stress is even more complex. Again the principal organs are the adrenal glands, but after the first phase of alarm, the glands continue to produce a steady supply of hormones that apparently increase the body's resistance. This is in addition to specific defenses such as the production of antibodies to fight infection. If the stress is overwhelming, as in the case of an extensive third-degree burn or an uncontrollable infectious disease, the third phase, exhaustion of the adrenal glands, sets in, sometimes with fatal results.
Psychologic Stress. The emergency response of the body comes into play when a person merely foresees or imagines danger, as well as in real emergency situations. The thought of danger, or the vicarious experience of it in a thrilling story, play, or film, may be enough to cause the muscles to tense and the heart to start pounding. Psychologic situations can have the same effect. One of the best-known examples of this is “stage fright,” often characterized by tensed muscles and an increased heart rate. At times the person may not even be aware of the unconscious thought that produces this dramatic reaction.
Stress and Disease. In recent decades, there have been numerous attempts to find a direct correlation between certain diseases and a stressful environment or a personality type that responds to the environment in a certain way. However, while inappropriate activity and a hectic lifestyle can cause illness in some persons, a busy and productive person can actually be subject to less stress than one who feels trapped in a limited position with no hope for release or a sense of accomplishment.

The diseases most often associated with a stressful environment are, according to some scientists, coronary artery disease and “heart attack,” high blood pressure, and cancer. Studies of laboratory animals have demonstrated a connection between isolated and specific stimuli such as electric shock and separation from mates and the development of heart disease in these animals. The stressful variables in the human environment are, however, much more complex, and a stressful environment can be related to heart disease only as a risk factor (see type a behavior).

The postulated relationship between stress and the development of a malignancy is based on the theory that destructive emotions affect and in some way weaken the body's surveillance system, causing its immune response to fail to recognize and destroy malignant cells.

Although relaxation techniques can reduce blood pressure in persons with mild hypertension, there is no evidence that tension and stress cause the blood pressure to rise and stay at levels above normal.

Other diseases considered by some researchers to be related to stress include asthma, allergies, colitis, migraine headaches, and peptic ulcers. Even though the relationship is not clear and there are currently no hard data to support this, most health care providers are convinced that stress contributes to the worsening of symptoms and influences the impact a disease will have on the lives of some patients while other patients adapt to stress and seem to have no long-term deleterious reaction to it.
Coping Mechanisms. Unhealthy ways to cope with psychologic stress include drug abuse and alcoholism, smoking, abusive and violent behavior, and working harder to accomplish unrealistic or poorly defined goals. In order to deal with stress in an effective and healthy way, one must first identify sources of stress, either within oneself or in one's environment.

Job stressors are frequently related to disorganization in the work place, poor time management, and unrealistic or uncommunicated expectations of the employer. Another source of stress for the working person may be the lack of time for family and recreation because of job demands. Once job stressors are identified, some options are to change the stressful situation, modify the way one responds to stressors, or seek another job that is less stressful. In some instances learning to be more assertive and better able to communicate with supervisors and coworkers can reduce job-related stress.

Stressors in the home environment include negative self-concept; inadequate physical, cognitive, or behavioral resources; poor problem-solving skills; marital discord; ineffective parenting or lack of parenting skills; and lack of family support. Effective coping may require strategies to improve self-concept and build self-esteem, develop problem-solving skills, learn effective parenting, and establish a network of people who can give support. Exercise, improving one's nutritional status, making time for recreational activities, and utilizing relaxation techniques to relieve tension can also be healthy ways to cope with stress.
oxidative stress any of various pathological changes seen in living organisms in response to excessive levels of cytotoxic oxidants and free radicals in the environment.
stress reaction any of the biological reactions to adverse stimuli, physical, mental, or emotional, internal or external, that tend to disturb the organism's equilibrium; should these compensating reactions, physiological or psychological, be inadequate or inappropriate, they may lead to disorders. See alarm reaction, acute stress reaction, general adaptation syndrome, acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.


[L. strictus, tight, fr. stringo, to draw together]


1. forcibly exerted influence; pressure.
2. force per unit area.
3. in dentistry, the pressure of the upper teeth against the lower in mastication.
4. a state of physiological or psychological strain caused by adverse stimuli, physical, mental, or emotional, internal or external, that tend to disturb the functioning of an organism and which the organism naturally desires to avoid; see also stress reaction, under reaction.
5. the stimuli that elicit such a state or stress reactions.


2. A condition of metabolic or physiologic impairment in an organism, occurring usually in response to adverse events and capable of causing physical damage.
3. A condition of psychological strain occurring usually in response to adverse events and capable of causing symptoms and signs such as increased blood pressure, insomnia, and irritability.


Etymology: OFr, estrecier, to tighten
any emotional, physical, social, economic, or other factor that requires a response or change. Examples include dehydration, which can cause an increase in body temperature, and a separation from parents, which can cause a young child to cry. Stress can be positive or negative. Ongoing chronic stress can result in physical illness. Stress has been theorized as a major contributing factor in many physical diseases, such as asthma. Stress may also be applied therapeutically to promote change, such as implosive therapy for phobic patients, in which the patient is given support while being exposed to the situation that produces anxiety and is thereby gradually desensitized. The nature and degree of stress observed in a patient are frequently evaluated by the nurse as part of the ongoing holistic nursing assessment. See also general adaptation syndrome.


A force that causes a change in physical or mental health. See Biotic stress, Oxidative stress, Physical stress, Stressor Psychology A noxious physical or mental stimulus that may cause a loss of self-control Clinical Depression, over/undereating, too tired for sex, anger, crying, physical Sx fatigue, headache, backache, insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, ↑ colds/flu, nervous stomach, skin complaints; feeling of disorganization, loss of concentration. See Chronic stress, Job stress, Mental stress, Physician stress, Shear stress, Social stress, Workplace stress.


Cardiology A clinical trial–Stent Restenosis Study comparing outcomes of coronary stent placement to balloon angioplasty in treating CAD. See Balloon angioplasty, Coronary angioplasty, Coronary artery disease, Stenting.


2. dentistry The forces set up in teeth, their supporting structures, and structures restoring or replacing teeth as a result of the force of mastication.
4. rheology The force in a material transmitted per unit area to adjacent layers.
5. psychology A physical or psychological stimulus such as very high heat, public criticism, or another noxious agent or experience that, when impinging on a person, produces psychological strain or disequilibrium.


Any physical, social or psychological factor or combination of factors that acts on the individual so as to threaten his or her well-being and produce a physiological, often defensive, response. The response to stress may be beneficial, distressing or, occasionally, dangerous. Responses such as the production of ADRENALINE and CORTICOSTEROIDS, raised heart rate and blood pressure, increased muscle tension and raised blood sugar, are natural; but persistent civilized suppression of the natural physical concomitants (fight or flight) may be damaging. Most medical scientists view with scepticism the proposition that many human diseases are caused by stress. There is, however, no questioning the fact that overwhelming stress can cause physical and psychological damage. See POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.


n any factor (environmental, chemical, physical, or emotional) that contributes to the “stress response” (physiologic reactions to tension). Has been implicated in a number of diseases—including asthma, autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual tension syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcers.


An instrument for examining substances in polarized light. It consists of a polarizer and an analyser with their planes of polarization at right angles to each other. In the regions where the material is stressed (such as an ophthalmic lens tightly mounted in a metal frame) it becomes birefringent and the observer sees a system of dark fringes in that region. When used to detect strain in glass or plastic it is called a strain tester. Safety glass (except the chemically strengthened type) displays a characteristic strain pattern when viewed in a polariscope. See safety glass; strain.


1. In dentistry, forces set up in teeth, their supporting structures, and structures restoring or replacing teeth due to force of mastication.
2. Reactions of body to forces of a deleterious nature, infections, and various abnormal states that tend to disturb its normal physiologic equilibrium (homeostasis).


1. forcibly exerted influence; pressure, e.g. compression, tension.
2. the sum of the biological reactions to any adverse stimulus, physical, mental, or emotional, internal or external, that tends to disturb the homeostasis of an organism. Should these reactions be inappropriate, they may lead to disease states. The term is also used to refer to the stimuli that elicit the reactions, e.g. heat, nutritional, lactational, confinement, transportation. See also psychosomatic disease.

stress induced diarrhea of the horse
see acute undifferentiated and chronic undifferentiated diarrhea of the horse.
porcine stress syndrome
see porcine stress syndrome.
stress reaction
stress-starvation syndrome
said of sheep. See pregnancy toxemia.
stress testing
a test for evaluating circulatory response to physical stress produced by exercise. See also exercise testing.

Patient discussion about stress

Q. How to not be stressed from my job? I have a very stressful job. I stay up all night thinking about my assignments for the next day. During work hours I barely eat and my boss yells at me all the time. What to do? This is affecting my family life since I take all my stress out on them?

A. If you like where you’re working but your job is too stressful, ask if the company can tailor the job to your skills or move you to a less pressured slot. If that doesn't help and the level of stress at your job is harming your health and your relationships, and you don’t see any prospect of real change, it may be time to move on.

Q. How to deal with stress before exams? I am a college student and get very stressed out before tests. Are there good methods to relieve stress?

A. Have you tried aromatherapy? the scents of the essential oils can activate the limbic system of your brain, helping to relieve stress and increase alertness before your exams.

This articles recommends a good custom blend of essential oils when using Aromatherapy for Stress:

Q. Can stress really affect your health?? I’ve been having a stressed period at work in the past three months. I heard a lot of times:” don’t stress up-it’ll kill you eventually..” but is it physically true?

A. defenitely true, it's been proven that stress might cause gastrointestinal desorders.

More discussions about stress
References in periodicals archive ?
Among the 112 productions in the bi-syllabic stems, only ten accurate stresses were placed on the second syllable in Maltese, Burmese, blockade, and crusade.
Figure 3 (right) shows the distribution of the thickness stresses near the surface of panel No.
This chemical reaction, together with the stresses of molding, then produces fine cracks in the steel's matrix.
Stresses on figures 8 and 9 are highest at the "L" shaped insert in Viton.
The period when a young adult with mental retardation is adjusting to the transition from school to work and adult life can be conceptualized as a family transition accompanied by (a) the normative stresses associated with family transitions in the Launching stage, and (b) the non-normative stresses associated with the Launching stage for families with a young adult with mental retardation, including the impact of the individuals employment.
During simulation of the casting processes, mold filling, solidification and microstructure formation were examined as well as the development of residual stresses caused during the casting process.
It was found that the as-welded sample exhibits tensile stresses on the order of the yield stress both parallel and perpendicular to the weld.
Evaluation of residual stresses is a major concern for producers of transparent plastics used in medical devices and packaging, automotive lenses, optical components, compact disks and other optical data-storage media, and many other products.
The fifth source of pile-up includes stresses and strains that emerge from specific behaviors or strategies that a family may have used in the adjustment phase, such as increased rigidity or suppression of anger (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1991).
If we can find a way to quickly estimate Area Moment of Inertia, we can readily estimate stresses in our brainstormed sketches as well as estimate whether deflection will increase or decrease.
One task of professionals working with children who have physical disabilities is to assist mothers in helping their children manage the physical, social, academic, and emotional stresses of everyday life.