In our everyday lives we seem to be happy, well-adjusted people, but as we cope with everyday situation, stress has a way of building up and becomes overwhelming. One feels acute stress in danger, accidents, natural disasters, after surgery. Overthinking about study and final exams, death of a friend or loved one, problems in a personal relationship, work overload, starting a new job, unemployment, retirement, pregnancy, crowds, relocation, daily hassles, legal problems, financial hassles, perfectionism can lead to chronic stress which goes on for days, weeks even months. Stress affects most of us. Men and women of all ages, races, socio economic background endure some kind of stress. In a recent Canadian poll, about one-quarter of Canadians said that they feel quite a bit stressed or extremely stressed most days. Stress is an emotion that is meant to protect us, motivate us, make us feel alive. It’s a natural physiological response to threat, danger, challenge, unpredictability, uncontrolled situation. But if one cannot go back to a relaxed state even after resolving stressful conditions, then it will cause harm to both health and mind. Signs of stress can be recognized if someone feels dizziness, general aches and pains, grinding teeth, clenched jaws, headaches, indigestion, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, racing heart, sweaty palms, tiredness, exhaustion, trembling, weight gain or loss, upset stomach, constant worry, difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humor, poor memory, anger, anxiety, crying, depression, feeling powerless, frequent mood swings, irritability, loneliness, negative thinking, nervousness, sadness. Our body deals with stressful conditions by releasing a series of hormones named Cortisol, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine from the Adrenal gland present inside our body. These hormones are essential for our survival, and needed in specific amounts and in a timely release manner for overall bodily development and growth. During an event of acute stress, these hormones travel to the heart through blood vessels. This makes the heart beat faster enabling the body to get proper circulation and prepare for action. Blood pressure and blood glucose level spike momentarily. If this series of events happens over and over again, the heart may suffer permanent damage. Chronic stress can increase appetite that results in consuming fatty and carbohydrate rich food, causing cravings for comfort food frequently. To cope with stress, people turn to smoking and alcohol consumption which increases the chance of getting heart problems. Eventually our internal organs become filled with fat tissue, most importantly our heart and blood vessels. Major blood vessels become narrower and can’t supply the required amount of blood to other parts of the body. This pathological process can be life threatening for people with family history of cardiac diseases, old age, male sex, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet. Long standing hypertension is one of the other outcomes of chronic stress. With hypertension, blood vessels are injured constantly which can lead to build up of blood clot and eventually stroke and heart attack. Loss of loved ones can be a cause of heart problems. Grief can become so powerful that it can break one’s heart, known as “Broken Heart Syndrome” or Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy, where structure of the heart changes and it can’t pump effectively. This recognized condition suggests the old saying, that someone could be “scared to death”, might indeed be true. Extreme emotional or physical stress symptoms exactly mimic those of a heart attack or heart failure. Among the precipitating factors are the death of a loved one, financial loss, physical assault, severe pain or an intense argument. Exposure to synthetic cannabinoids may also provoke the condition. Stress induced heart failure appears more frequently among individuals beyond age 50 with women outnumbering men by a margin of 5 to 11-fold. Symptoms include chest pain often radiating to either arm, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness and loss of consciousness. Heartbeat irregularities regularly complicate the process. Previously most people were expected to fully recover within 1-4 weeks, but lately it seems that fatalities occur in about 20% of those affected. Some may even suffer recurrences. Heart diseases are the leading cause of mortality all over the world. Stress is one of the modifiable risk factors, and by identifying this cause in the early stage one can slow the disease process. Exercising, maintaining a positive attitude, not smoking, not drinking too much coffee, enjoying a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight are good ways to deal with stress. Medicines are helpful for many things, but usually not for stress. Some people take relaxant pills to calm them down immediately, but it's far better in the long term to learn to manage stress through relaxation or stress management techniques. Spending time with families, loved ones, friends, going outdoors regularly are also recommended. Meditation and yoga have been shown as proven ways to reduce stress. Asking for help in stressful situations at home and at work is encouraged. These are the common ways to deal with stress but at first one has to recognize the cause behind the stress and bring it under control. If that’s not possible, seeking professional help is the ideal way.