Stress is a biological term for the consequences of the failure of a human or animal to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches an...
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Stress is a biological term for the consequences of the failure of a human or animal to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined. It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and elevated heart rate.
The term "stress" was first used by psychologists before the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s. He later broadened and popularized the concept to include the response of the body to any demand. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to a condition, and "stressor" to the internal reaction causing stress.
It covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of health.
Signs of stress may be cognitive, emotional, physical or behavioral. Signs...
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