Although not on par with an ebola outbreak, stress is nonetheless as contagious as a virus, and, surprisingly, recent findings compare it to secondhand smoke in terms of the harmful impacts regular exposure can have on physiological reactions — both to ourselves and those around us.
Stress has been identified as one of the major scourges of our modern age, and according to a 2013 American Psychological Association report, 78 percent of American adults say their stress levels increased or stayed the same over the past five years, while more than 30 percent say stress has had a significant impact on their physical and mental health.
Consequences of chronic untreated stress range from decreased immune system function to insomnia to increased risk of heart disease.
[For more of this story, written by Martha Ross, go to http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/08/11/6029568/secondhand-stress-can-hurt-others.html]
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