Stress is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological. Stress can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye. Selye separated the physical effects of stress from other physical symptoms by observing that patients suffered physical effects not caused directly by their disease or medical condition. He described the general adaptation syndrome as having three stages: alarm reaction, where the body detects the external stimulus; adaptation, where the body defends against the stressor (e.g., source of stress); and exhaustion, where the body begins to run out of defenses.
There are two types of stress: eustress (positive stress) and distress (negative stress), roughly meaning challenge and overload respectively. Both types of stress may be the result of negative or positive events. Eustress is essential to life, like exercise to a muscle, however distress can cause disease....
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Crow, K. (2008). Stress. In: Loue, S.J., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_416
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