Studies show that various stress affect health by suppressing your immune system

Romance is just one of the stresses of life for many singles.There is proof that emotional stress affect health issues because of the complex relationship between the immune system and the brain, and how the brain is affected by emotions.

Psychoneuroimmunology was coined in 1975 by Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen after their study on the immune system of rats concluded that after conditioning, a stimuli (taste) alone could suppress the immune system. This proved that something unrelated to the immune system could have an affect on it.

• "In 1985, research by neuropharmacologist Candace Pert revealed that neuropeptide-specific receptors are present on the cell walls of both the brain and the immune system. The discovery by Pert et al. that neuropeptides and neurotransmitters act directly upon the immune system shows their close association with emotions and suggests mechanisms through which emotions and immunology are deeply interdependent. Showing that the immune and endocrine systems are modulated not only by the brain but also by the central nervous system itself has had an enormous impact on how we understand emotions, as well as disease." [1]

People suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are more likely to have risky health behaviors too

"Alcohol abuse affects 52% of men with PTSD and 28% of women while drug abuse is seen in 35% of men and 27% of women with PTSD."[2]

Their emotional problems cause them to seek stimulants or suppressants commonly available and they find it difficult to cope without them as well as having difficulty coping with the other symptoms of PTSD.

"Individuals with the disorder may have an increased risk of impulsive behavior or suicide. Victims of sexual assault are at especially high risk for developing mental health problems and committing suicide."[3]

When these risky health behaviors of people with chronic stress are added to the increased possibility of suppressed immune systems due to stress then the answer to the question "Does stress affect health?" is a definite YES.

Not all stress affect health negatively

Chronic stress can elevate your heart rate and blood pressure if your levels of cortisol are insufficient. Under sudden stress adrenaline is released into the body which raises your heart rate and blood pressure, but the cortisol is supposed to drop it again after the stress has subsided.

Chronic stress interferes with the release of Cortisol which can eventually cause heart disease.

Chronic stress has been implicated in many diseases of the body for a long time. Victims of severe stress or trauma throughout the ages have often been observed to have a reduced capacity to fight sickness and shorter life span than the general population.

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[1]Psychoneuroimmunology from Wikipedia

[2]Author: Stephen R Paige, PhD, Visiting Professor of psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha

[3]Author: T Allen Gore, MD, MBA, CMCM, DFAPA, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Howard University School of Medicine; Associate Director of Medical Affairs, Saint Elizabeth's Hospital, District of Columbia Department of Mental Health