Stress can affect the immune system. Worrying experiences very early in life can alter the responsiveness of the nervous system and immune system. Stressful prenatal or early life stress also increases the likelihood of changed immune responses to stress in late life. One such modification to the immune system includes a decrease in the capability of the white blood cells (immune cells) to carry out their important functions. One great example is temporary stress as seen in students during "examination stress". This has been shown to slow down wound healing due to stress. Children of mothers who are habitually stressed during pregnancy show decreased immune function in their children compared to children of undisturbed pregnancies. Several stressful experiences can cause memory "imprinting" in the brain during fetal development and early life can alter the responsiveness of the endocrine, immune, and central nervous systems for many years.

At the same time, young children who experience abuse or neglect show abnormal cortisol levels indicative of a dysregulated stress response. Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that are associated in energy production from glucose, blood pressure control, the maintenance of insulin levels and suppression of inflammatory responses. Cortisol is increased following several stress disorders.

Aging is linked with immunological modifications. The effects of age and stress related disorders are intertwined where a deregulation of the immune task can have a major blow on physical health (example heart disease). Stress can accelerate the effects of aging, with older adults often showing greater immunological impairments to stress than younger adults. Hence a good immune response is very vital to our good health. In the same way immunological deviations and disturbances can influence the progression and severity of a variety of disorders and diseases, including stress related disorders.

The Knowledge of such effects of stress and age is critical to understand the mechanisms associated so that we can increase effective interventions and medications in early and late life.

So don't get too stressed.