The Impact of Stress on Health

1520 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effect does stress have on health essay

(AC 1) Stress is defined as the state when people are experiencing difficulties in coping with the situations they are in due to the lacking of abilities or knowledge to handle them (Anxiety UK, ND). These situations are often referred as stressors. The way how individuals are reacting to these stressors is referred as stress response. Stress does not directly causes infections or ill-health to a person. Instead, the products produced in the process of stress interfere with the usual operations of the immune system. Numerous studies have proved that stress has an immunosuppressive effect, which means the functions of the immune system is reduced when an individual is experience stress (Gross et al., 2008). Corticosteroids are initially produced during the alarm stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), they do not usually cause any harm to the immune system. However, if the presence of corticosteroids is prolonged in the blood due to chronic stress, they can interfere with the production of the antibodies leaving the body vulnerable to harmful virus and bacteria (Gross et al., 2008). As described in the G.A.S model by Selye, individuals might experience drastic changes in their body such as high blood pressures and heart rates in order to cope during the stressful situations. If these changes are prolonged, this could lead to permanent damage to the body (Bailey et al, 2008). (AC 2)There are many causes of stress in the modern society due to the higher expectations and demands from different aspects of life. Work-related stress is one common cause of stress. People feel stressed out at their workplace for various reasons. For example, long working hours is one type of stressor because workers are overworked, which leads to... ... middle of paper ... ...e] Available from:< http://www.carersuk.org/media/k2/attachments/Facts_about_carers_Dec_2012.pdf> [Accessed on (19 February 2014)] Fletcher, V., (2008). How just 20 minutes of housework a week will boost the brain.[online] Available from:< http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/40806/How-just-20-minutes-of-housework-a-week-will-boost-the-Brain>[Accessed on (19 February 2014)] Gross et al.,(2008). AQA (A) Psychology for AS. London. Hodder Education Rice et al., (2008). Psychology in focus: AS level. Lancaster. Causeway Press Limited Stress Management Society (ND). Exercise. [online] Available from: [Accessed on (19 February 2014)] UC Davis (2013). Mindfulness from meditation associated with lower stress hormone. [online] Available from:< http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10538>[Accessed on (19 February 2014)]

Show More
Related

  • Family Stressors Case Study

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    A stressor is an event or time period in which the family faces that adds struggles in their lives. Stressors can affect the family in many different ways depending on the ways that it is handled by each family. For example, the death of a

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Stress

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight-or-freeze” reaction, or the stress response.

    Read More

  • What is Stress

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stress is the combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions. Most people have a response to events that challenge or threaten them. Stress good and bad. Good stress is called eustress.

    Read More

  • Stress And Stress Essay

    1900 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stress can come from any event or thought that makes us feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. All of us experience stress and usually cope with it well. Stress is an omnipresent part of life and is a reaction to external stimuli that disturb our physical or mental equilibrium. It is a system in our body that helps us to deal with real danger and / or perform at our best. Any event or happening that induces stress is called stressor.

    Read More

  • Stress and Its Serious Effects

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    This research paper concerns how individuals perceive stress and the serious effect on their psychological thought process and physical and mental health and how they can cope with their anxiety driven thoughts. Research was gathered using printed material obtained at the Syracuse Bird Library, and also using various online sources and scholarly journals. One printed source written by Frank Campbell addresses the health effects stress can have on an individual while author Richard Lazarus explores coping mechanisms individuals can use to attempt to get rid of the their stress. Author Bruce G. Charlton in his publication in the Journal of Medical Ethics, claims that stress is an empty word, with little value and explains the origin of the Stress. Robert Lazarus explains the concept of stress along with the ambiguity associated with the word. Ruth O’Hara explains what situations causes stress. While authors Carolyn Aldwin and Sandi Mann discuss coping and how to alleviate stress.

    Read More

  • What Is 6th Grade Stressful

    388 Words  | 1 Pages

    Stress,verb a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. For example falling behind in school is very stressful.

    Read More

  • Informative Essay: How Stress Affects Health

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    Berkeley Rebman LA-Research Paper April 30, 2017 Stress is something all people battle with, some more severe than others. Stress, by definition, is a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily, or mental tension (Merriam Webster Dictionary). We experience stress when things are not going perfectly. Long term stress can severely affect our health, bodies, and brains.

    Read More

  • Disadvantages Of General Adaptation

    440 Words  | 1 Pages

    General adaptation syndrome is a universal biological response or reaction to stress, termed by Hans Selye in 1936. The syndrome is divided into three phases: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Stress suppresses the immune system when the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis’s cortisol levels are high for an extended length of time. When the immune system becomes suppressed due to these high levels of prolonged stress, our bodies become significantly more at risk for diseases such as the common cold, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and bursitis.

    Read More

  • Stress Case Study

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Studies have shown that stress can actually change the levels of specific biochemical markers in the body which plays a major role in the human immune system. According to (Drayson& Ring, 2006). “Long-term or chronic stress, through too much wear and tear, can ravage the immune system.” This relationship between the immune system and stress has been the topic of study in many experiments for example one study suggests that students are more likely to get sick during final exams because of the prolonged high periods of stress. As reported by (Robles & Glaser 2002), “stress can lessen a person 's immune response and that change can make them more susceptible to infectious diseases.” This is because the body loses its ability to regulate the inflammatory response. Inflammation is partially regulated by the hormone cortisol and when cortisol is not allowed to serve this purpose, inflammation can get out of control. The immune system 's ability to regulate inflammation predicts if a cold will develop, so it also shows how stress can encourage disease. When under constant stress, the cells of the immune system are not able to respond to hormonal control, and this causes the body to produce levels of inflammation that stimulate

    Read More

  • Effects Of Stress On Pregnancy Essay

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    What is stress? Stress is state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Stress can from depression, work, and much more. One doctor says, “Stress is a silent disease.”

    Read More

  • Stress Management

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stress is defined as “any circumstances that threaten or are perceived to threaten one’s well-being and thereby tax one’s coping abilities” (Weiten & Lloyd, 2006, p. 72). Stress is a natural event that exists literally in all areas of one’s life. It can be embedded in the environment, culture, or perception of an event or idea. Stress is a constant burden, and can be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health. However stress can also provide beneficial effects; it can satisfy one’s need for stimulation and challenge, promote personal growth, and can provide an individual with the tools to cope with, and be less affected by tomorrow’s stress (Weiten & Lloyd, 2006, p. 93).

    Read More

  • Stress, Stressors and Stress Responses

    3964 Words  | 8 Pages

    Stress is the combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions that people have in response to events that threaten or challenge them. Stress can be good or bad. Sometimes, stress is helpful, providing people with the extra energy or alertness they need. Stress could give a runner the edge he or she needs to persevere in a marathon, for example. This good kind of stress is called eustress. Unfortunately, stress is often not helpful and can even be harmful when not managed effectively. Stress could make a salesperson buckle under the pressure while trying to make a sales pitch at an important business meeting, for example. Moreover, stress can increase the risk of developing health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and anxiety disorders. This bad kind of stress is called distress, the kind of stress that people usually are referring to when they use the word stress.

    Read More

  • Definition Of Stress In Sport

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    “A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.” https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/stress

    Read More

  • Stress: Causes And Effects

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, stress is defined as an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well being (Patel, 14). Stress is a universal feeling to everyone but the word stress means different things to different people. Some people define stress as events or situations that cause them to feel tension, pressure or negative emotions such as anxiety or anger (Patel, 15). Other people may view stress as a process involving a person’s interpretation and response to a threatening event. In any case, stress has many facets of how one perceives and responds to the certain predicament that is ailing them.

    Read More

  • Stress In The Workplace Essay

    2939 Words  | 6 Pages

    Since people are always dealing with certain changes in their lives, they are always dealing with some type of stress. One of the biggest growing issues with stress is stress in the workplace. According to Northwestern National Life, one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives (“Stress at Work,” 1999).... ... middle of paper ...

    Read More

More about The Impact of Stress on Health

Open Document