Biology Project
Name: Fiorella Ramos Murillo
Course: 2nd Sciences
Effects of Stress
What is stress?
Feeling stressed is one of the experiences most common human beings.
Every body experience stress at some point in life But not everything is
processed in the same way.Most people using the Word “stress” when
referring to the feeling of being overwhelmed by negative events or
experiences. However, stress, in its simplest form, can be described as the
person's reaction to changes or demands in your life Stress is not always the
consequence of a negative circumstance. Events positives in life, such as
getting married, changing employment or having a baby can also produce
stress. This type of stress is known as "eustress" or positive stress. On the
contrary, negative life events such as a job loss or a diagnosis of cancer, can
elicit a negative form of stress, called “distress”. any of these Two types of
stress, eustress or distress, can lead to personal growth.
Life stress is strongly
associated with poor
mental and physical
health (Cohen et al.,
2007; Slavich et al.,
2010). These effects
exceed those of
other well-known risk
factors, such as
tobacco use,
excessive alcohol
consumption, and
physical inactivity
(Holt-Lunstad et al.,
2010), and account
for substantial morbidity and mortality (Pedersen et al., 2011).
Understanding how stress impacts health, and what factors mitigate these
effects, is thus critically important. One of the most important advances in
this area of research involves the recent adoption of a life-course
perspective for studying stress and health (Graham et al., 2006; Lupien et
al., 2009). Theorists now generally appreciate that stress occurring over the
lifespan can have a cumulative effect on health; however, few studies have
actually measured lifetime stress exposure and assessed the effects that
such exposure has on mental and physical health outcomes. This has
occurred in part because no system has existed for measuring cumulative
Conceptual Framework of the Study
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study
Causes of stress are called stressors. It is an agent or condition capable of
producing stress or something that initiates a stress response; it can be
people, objects, places or events. These are outside forces that place
unusual demands on a person’s body or mind. Modern life exposes people
to many stressors. Some physical stressors remain, including natural
disasters, illness, and noise. Certain life experiences, such as the death of a
loved one, are major stressors. Day-to-day problems, such as burning toast,
taking rest, or feeling rushed, may also be stressful. People need not
experience events directly to feel stress. Television, newspapers, and other
means of mass communication flood people with information about
upsetting occurrences throughout the world. People can also imagine future
misfortunes and regret past failures. Experts consider modern life
particularly stressful for children and families. Not all stressors affect
everyone in the same manner. In a particular situation, one person may
remain quite calm while
Physiological Response to Stress
To learn how to cope with stress, it is important to understand how the body
responds to stressful situations. Stress can cause physical damage to the
body, including high blood pressure, muscle tension or trembling, digestive
problems, insomnia, irritability, and depression.
When the body is subjected to a real or perceived threat, the senses send
that information to a part of the brain called the amygdala. This part of the
brain is involved in processing emotions. The amygdala interprets the
information and, when it realizes that there is some kind of danger, it sends
a distress signal to another part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The
hypothalamus acts as a command center that communicates with the rest
of the body through the autonomic nervous system. This system controls
the normal automatic functions of the body, such as breathing, blood
pressure, heart rate, and the dilation or constriction of important blood
vessels and bronchioles (small airways) in the lungs.The autonomic nervous
system has two components: the sympathetic nervous system and the
parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system triggers
the response known as "fight or flight," which gives the body an energy
boost to respond to danger. The fight or flight response is a useful and
necessary mechanism that allows us to act appropriately in an urgent
situation.It has a rapid impact on heart rate, blood flow, blood pressure,
blood sugar, respiration, and metabolism. and digestion. The
parasympathetic nervous system acts as a brake. It promotes a restful
reaction that calms the body after the danger has passed. After a brief
exposure to a stressful factor, the body returns to its natural state of rest
(known as homeostasis).
“Fight or flight” response
After the amygdala sends a distress signal,
a hormonal cascade is initiated. Adrenaline
circulates throughout the body, making it
highly alert to danger. Heartbeats
accelerate. Pulse rate and blood pressure
rise, and breathing quickens. Senses such as
vision, hearing, and others become
heightened.
When the initial surge of adrenaline
subsides, hormonal levels normalize, and
the body begins to slow down and relax.
If exposure to the stressful factor continues and becomes chronic stress,
other hormones such as cortisol keep the body in a heightened state of
alertness.
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