Whether you are sweating the small stuff, or fretting over the bigger stuff, stress can take a toll on your health. In this hour of Sceince Friday, Ira Flatow and guests look at the health effects of stress. You can feel your heart race, but what else does stress do to your body? Scientists say it can stifle creativity, lower your immune function, and even make the flu vaccine less effective. But can stress ever be good for you?

Plus--hurricanes, tsunamis, war--for some caught up in a crisis, the stress becomes too much to bear. We'll get the latest on post traumatic stress disorder. Do scientists know why some people manage to avoid it?

This broadcast is live from the meeting of the American Psychological Association's Science Leadership Conference. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Wendy Berry Mendes
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Janice Kiecolt-Glaser
S. Robert Davis Chair, Medicine
Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology
Director, Division of Health Psychology, Department of Psychiatry
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

Farris Tuma
Chief, Traumatic Stress Research Program
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Bethesda, Maryland

David Krantz
Professor and Chairman
Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology
Uniformed Services University
Bethesda, Maryland

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This segment produced by Annette Heist