By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Do you feel that you are under a great deal of stress? I don’t think that I am going out on a limb with my guess that you are nodding yes.

If you are not experiencing stress I am delighted because this is very good for your health but if you feel stress it is important that you do all you can to deal with it.

We have growing evidence that stress can increase the risk of heart disease and it also takes a toll on the immune system. Since it is often quite difficult to eliminate the stressors in our lives, it is more efficient to look at lifestyle: things like increasing exercise, even going for a long walk, reading a book or yoga classes. It doesn’t matter.

You need to try different things but put yourself first.