Stress and the Immune System AIM: to study the effect of stress (exams) on the immune system. They wanted to test the hypothesis that stress reduces immunity by seeing if there is a difference in immune response between two conditions (high and low stress). They were also interested to see if other factors affected immunity, such as psychiatric symptoms, loneliness, and life events. PROCEDURES: · 75 first year medical students (self-selected sample) volunteered to participate. It was a natural experiment as the IV (level of stress prior to exams) was not manipulated by the investigators, but occurred naturally. · The investigators took blood samples 1 month before the final exams (baseline measurement of low stress) and on the first day of the final exams (high stress condition) in a repeated measures design. · The numbers of natural killer cells and T cells were counted in the two samples, and used as the indicators of immune functioning (the DV). · Questionnaires were also used to assess 3 areas of behavioural functioning: any psychiatric symptoms, degree of loneliness, exposure to life events FINDINGS: · The number of natural killer cells had significantly declined in the stress sample · The reduced immune response was most strongly associated with students who reported the most stress e.g. those who felt the most lonely, those who experienced stressful life events or who suffered from psychiatric symptoms like depression and anxiety CONCLUSIONS: · The decline in natural killer cells in humans supports the earlier animal studies showing that stress suppresses the immune response · Immunosuppression was strongest when there were additional sources of stress · The study shows that various sources of stress (eg. exams, psychiatric illness, loneliness and life events) have a similar depressing effect on the immune system CRITICISMS: · This was a natural experiment, so cause and effect cannot be determined with certainty as the IV (stress level) was not deliberately altered. Uncontrolled factors could have caused the
Therefore, prolonged stress included adverse psychological and physical health effects as well as the increased risk of premature death (Denollet, J., et al.
Getting sick is another negative factor of being overly stressed. Chronic stress compromises your immune system and stress hormones affect the body’s ability to fight off illness due to the fact that thymus’s ability to stimulate and coordinate the white blood cell activity.
Although gross medical advancements have allowed the human population to live longer and fuller lives without the threat of death from infectious diseases, it is apparent that we are now dealing with a different phenomenon that may be just as harmful to our health. The impact of psychological, social and environmental factors from our daily lives is having a drastic impression on the mental and physical wellbeing of our society. It has been shown in various studies that psychological and neurological factors influence the immune system and can have an effect on our health (Breedlove, Rosenzweig & Watson, 2010). As we allow various stressors, poisonous substances, unhealthy diets and lack of rest to overwhelm our existence, we are inevitably shortening our life span and killing our bodies.
Stress comes from many areas of life especially as an adult student incorporating school at a time in life when family and work are paramount. “Adults just returning to school have substantially higher anxiety about school in general and writing in particular than younger students.”3 Stress, best described by its "synonyms: strain, pressure, (nervous) tension, worry, anxiety, trouble, difficultly"1 has a medical history "According to the American Psychological Association, the majority of office visits to the doctor involve stress-related complaints, and stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide."2 If managed, stress can be a way to inform me; learning how to recognize my level of stress capacity is important. The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory 5 http://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory/ is a list of stressful events that contribute to illness. My personal score on this life stress inventory is 236; I fall in the category of about a fifty percent chance of a major health breakdown in the next...
Suppression of the Immunity System: stress causes the immune system of the body to be weakened because it fights of the stress from the stressor. This makes the body even more vulnerable to certain infections, like multiple sclerosis and arthritis. It has been discovered that stress slows the body’s rate of recovery from infections.
The purpose of this paper is to define stress and how it effects the body's physiological systems. This paper will include the normal functions and organs involved in the following five physiological systems, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, immune and musculoskeletal. This paper will also include a description of a chronic illness associated with each physiological system and how the illness is affected by stress.
In 1964, George Solomon, a psychiatrist, noticed that rheumatoid arthritis worsened when people were depressed. He was fascinated by this connection, and began to investigate the impact of emotions on inflammation and immune function in general. His studies were the beginning of the new field of psychoneuroimmunology, which examines the relationships between the mind (psyche), bra...
...le to a disorder under some circumstances (pg 471). Stress can also cause immunosupression, which inhibits the immune system, making it more likely that the individual will become ill (pg 472). In comparison to Dr. Siegel’s video, the key to happiness may be mindfulness and taking life in during the moment. Many people think too much about the past or future and miss the present moment.
The immune system utilizes its biological responses to protect the body from infection and disease. It's critical mechanisms allow for the rapid sensing and elimination of microbes that can harm your body. When a virus invades your body the immune system enforces a complex process to remove it. Your body carries out this process by identifying the virus, activating the immune system, and by restraining and eliminating the virus.
and the way we feel we are able to cope with things. If we cannot cope
The immune system is a fascinating structure it defends the body against foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses and parasites. There are two primary forms that make up the immune system they are, innate and adaptive systems. Both the innate and adaptive system plays a large role in the immune system. The innate is the primary system to defend against foreign materials and the adaptive is the secondary system that responds to specific issues.
Gastrointestinal problems including ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome are not caused by stress but stress can contribute to episodes of illness and exaggerate the effects by causing the gut to become overactive (Smith & Fawcett, 2006). Stress stimulates the release of hydrochloric acid within the gut while inhibiting the protective mucosa in the gut, this makes the environment of the gut more acidic thus affecting the body’s ability to heal and combat ulceration (Wilson, 2005). Recurrent headaches and migraines have been linked to stress, caused by the tension and contraction of head and neck muscles and increased activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline within the stress response (Carson, 2006, Sarafino & Smith, 2014). Skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis can all be caused or be influenced by stress (Tausk, Ellenkov & Moynihan, 2008). According to Nolen-Hoeksema, Frederickson, Loftus & Wagenaar (2009), it is commonly perceived that people with psychophysiological disorders do not need treatment as the illnesses and symptoms are a manifestation of the psychological stress and do not require medical intervention. In fact, Nolen-Hoeksema et al (2009) argue that it is believed that stress is a key factor in over half of all
To humans, having a healthy immune system is essential. Our immune system is important because it helps the body fight any foreign bacteria, viruses, and diseases by attacking it, which is why we must take care of it as much as possible by strengthening it. But this so called defense system can also cause problems such as attacking donated organs or blood from another individual, unless the organs or blood are carefully matched. It may also overreact to harmless invaders such as pollen grains, which can cause hayfever, and even in certain cases, the immune system may turn against the body's own cells. The immune system uses different types of white blood cells. Some of these cells which are called macrophages, are constantly patrolling the body to destroy any germs as they enter. In the case of an infection taking hold, one’s body will begin to fight back with a much powerful defense of T and B-cells. These cells give people acquired immunity in order to prevent the same germ form making them ill again. Unfortunately with today’s environmental issues people are dealing with several health problems, especially in their immune system. Air pollution, which is one of the major environmental issues, can cause several health risks. Exposure to air pollutants can have a high possibility of resulting in long term effects on people as well as shutting down the immune system. Therefore, the pollution in the air can affect the immune system by weakening it and making it much more vulnerable to foreign invaders, illnesses, harmful bacteria, and viruses.
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.
Stress is an ongoing dilemma that occurs in each and everyone’s life. It is a factor that is undoubtedly a part of daily living. Due to the trivial problems that occur in people’s daily lives massive amounts of stress can arise. People perceive and manage stress in many different ways. The causes and effects of stress are numerous and one’s ability to manage stress is vital in maintaining healthy living.