Stress is a part of life. Most of us feel it when we are stuck in traffic, running late or working under a deadline, while a little stress is nothing to fret about, the kind of intense worry that lingers for weeks or months may make it hard for you to stay healthy.

“Stress has a profound impact on how your body’s systems function,” says Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor of General Oncology and Behavioral Science, and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson. Health experts are still sorting out whether stress causes cancer. Yet there’s little doubt that it promotes the growth and spread of some forms of the disease. Put simply, “stress makes your body more hospitable to cancer,” Cohen says.

Not all stress is equally harmful. There are two different types of stress, and only one seems to be a real threat to your health.

Short-term or acute stress, like the type you might feel before giving a speech or fighting holiday shopping crowds, tends to subside as soon as the event

But long-term or chronic stress is more damaging. That type of stress springs from situations that last many weeks or months with no definite end point. Caring for a sick loved one or dealing with a long stint of unemployment are common causes of chronic stress.

This type of no-end-in-sight stress can weaken your immune system, leaving you prone to diseases like cancer. It also ups your risk for digestive problems and depression

Drawing the line between situational and chronic stress is important. If you feel that the stress you are under has no real end in sight, it may be time to seek professional help.

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• Emotional Health