Question

Researchers have recently demonstrated that stressed people are more susceptible to contracting the common cold than people who are not stressed. What kind of stress must the infected patients be experiencing, and why does it make them more susceptible to the virus?

Short answer

The mind and body are severely damaged by stress. It has not yet been established precisely how stress affects illness and health.

Step-by-step solution

Stress

Researchers have now shown that long-term psychological stress is linked to a decline in the body's capacity to control the inflammatory response.

Body capacity

The study demonstrates for the first time how psychological stress affects the body's capacity to control inflammation and therefore hasten the onset and course of illness.