Impact of Stress on Physical Health

This assignment delves into the profound influence of stress on various aspects of physical well-being. It examines the physiological mechanisms through which stress can contribute to inflammation, increase vulnerability to illnesses, and highlight strategies for effective stress management.

Running head: STRESS AND ILLNESS
STRESS AND ILLNESS
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
Physiology of stress response:.........................................................................................................2
Four categories of symptoms of stress:...........................................................................................3
Stress and heart disorders:...............................................................................................................4
Stress and viral infection:................................................................................................................4
Stress and depression:......................................................................................................................5
Social support reduces stress:..........................................................................................................7
Social factor that aggravates stress:.................................................................................................8
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................9
References:....................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction:
Stress can be defined as the body’s way to respond to any kind of demand or threat.
Whenever, a human being senses danger, the body’s defenses start to act in fast pace in a rapid as
well as an automatic process. This is called the flight or fight reaction or the stress response. The
stress response can be taken as the body’s way of protecting human beings. When the system
works in a proper manner, it helps the individual to stay focused, energetic and alert. It has been
seen that in emergencies, stress help to save life giving additional strength to defend oneself.
Stress also help individuals to meet challenges by keeping them on toes, sharpening their
concentration on trying to achieve a goal, drives one to concentrate on objectives and many
others. However, beyond a certain point, stress is seen to stop helping individuals to overcome
tension, causes major damage to health, mood, relationship, productivity, and hence affects the
quality of life. Stress symptoms affect individuals in ways that are not easily recognizable.
However, they can affect the body, the thoughts, the behaviors and the different feelings. Stress
that is left unchecked and unmanaged can contribute to a number of different health problems.
These include high blood pressure, heart diseases, obesity, diabetes and many others. The present
assignment will mainly show how stress is responsible for the occurrence of different disorders
directly and indirectly. It will also show how different social issues can help in aggravating or
decreasing stress levels and their effects on illness.
Physiology of stress response:
When an individual feel threatened, the nervous system of his body starts responding in
specific ways. They release a pool of stress hormones, which include adrenaline and cortisol.
This prepares the human system for emergency action. In such situations, it is seen that the heart
pounds faster with tightening of muscles, rising of blood pressure, quickening of breathing and at

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the same time, senses become sharper (Lijffit, Hu & Swann, 2014). These types of physical
changes cause an increase in the strength and stamina thereby speeding reaction time and
enhancing the focus. This would help in preparing the individual for either flight or flee from the
danger at hand. Researches had found out that the system is not very good at distinguishing
between emotional and physical threats. It cannot recognize whether a human being is stressed
over intense arguments with colleagues or meeting deadlines and that when the person is facing a
true life or death situation. The more the emergency stress system is activated, the simpler it
becomes for the stress system to trigger but becomes harder to shut off. Therefore, researchers
have suggested that being stressed out frequently exposes the individuals to a heightened state of
stress most of the time, which in turn lead to serious health programs. Chronic stress results in
disrupting most of the physiological systems of the body. This may suppress the immune system,
reproductive systems as well as the digestive systems. It can also result in increasing the risk of
heart attack as well as stroke (Hall et al., 2017). It is even seen that stress affects the aging
procedures, rewire the brain that thereby causes anxiety, depression and other mental health
problems.
Four categories of symptoms of stress:
Four different types of symptoms remain associated with individuals who go through
chronic stress. The cognitive symptoms mainly involve different types of memory problems,
poor judgment, anxious or racing thoughts, inability in concentrating, constant worrying and
similar others. Physical symptoms that may be also depicted when describing individuals with
chronic stress is, and rapid heart rate, aches and pains, chest pain diarrhea and constipation, loss
of, nausea and dizziness, frequent colds or flu and sex drive (Leulier et al., 2017). Emotional
symptoms mainly involve depression and general unhappiness, anxiety and agitation. It also

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causes loneliness and isolation, irritability and anger or feeling overwhelmed moodiness, and
other mental or emotional health programs. Some of the behavioral symptoms mainly include
sleeping two much or too little and eating more or less. Withdrawing from others, using alcohol,
cigarettes, drugs to relax are also behavioral symptoms. Procrastinating or neglecting
responsibilities, nervous habits like nail biting, pacing show that individuals are suffering from
chronic stress (Berry et al., 2014).
Stress and heart disorders:
Type A personality describes person with personalities who are more competitive,
ambitious, highly organized, impatient, highly aware of time and aggressive. Researchers are of
the opinion that stressed out type A personalities have a higher risk of suffering from high blood
pressure and different heart problems from stress directly. Stress is seen to directly increase heart
rate and flow of blood (Cassel, 2017). It causes release of cholesterol and triglycerides in the
blood stream. Moreover, many researchers are also of the opinion that stress causes development
of behaviors like smoking, alcohol consumptions and many others that in turn result in increased
cardiac disorders. Sudden emotional stress also acts as triggers for sudden serious cardiac
problems that include heart attacks (Koene et al., 2016). Recommendations of researchers
suggest that people who already have chronic heart problems should successfully manage life in
ways that would help prevent them from being affected by unavoidable stresses as much as they
can.
Stress and viral infection:
A research team has found out that chronic stress is intricately associated with the
physiological systems of an individual. This results in losing of its ability for regulation of

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different inflammatory response. Stress affects the ability of the body for regulation of the
inflammation that can in turn help in promotion of the development and progression of different
types of diseases. Cortsiol hormone partially regulates inflammation and when cortisol cannot
perform such function, it is seen that inflammation goes out of control. Prolonged period of
excess stress modifies the cortisol effectiveness for regulation of the different sort of
inflammatory responses. This is associated with the decrease in the tissue sensitivity to the
hormone. Researchers also say that immune cells become highly insensitive to the regulatory
effect of cortisol. Therefore, in turn it is seen that runaway inflammation is also promoting the
development and the different types of progression of different types of disorders. Cohen and its
team in the year 2012 had conducted an important experiment. They had taken intense interview
of 276 healthy adults who were exposed to virus that was responsible for causing them with
common cold. They took note of the adults in quarantine. This observation went for about five
days. Scientist wanted to see the different signs of infection and other types of different illness. It
was indeed interesting to see that those individuals who experienced stressful events for a long
period of time mainly portrayed that there was an inability of the immune cells for which they
cannot respond to different types of hormonal signals that are responsible in inflammation
regulation. Those participants who were seen facing the inability to regulate the inflammatory
response were more prone to the development of cold when they were exposed to virus. In
individuals who are under stress, their immune system cells are unable to respond to hormonal
control. Therefore, they produce levels of inflammation, which promote diseases. Researchers
are also of the opinion that inflammation can be seen to play important roles in different types of
diseases. This included cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders and asthma. Therefore,
this type of model helps in suggesting how stress acts on them well (Mondal et al., 2017).

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Stress and depression:
Depression mainly takes place when the smooth interactions taking place between the
three main monoamine neurotransmitters of the brain like the dopamine, nor-epinephrine and
serotonin is disrupted. It results in the individual, suffering from various symptoms of
depression. Researchers conducted over the years had shown that people who have gone through
sustained or chronic stress would lead to elevated levels of hormones such as cortisol. This
elevated level of cortisol accompanies reduced levels of serotonin as well as other
neurotransmitters in the brain including dopamine. This had been linked to the occurrences of
depression in individuals with stress. When these chemical systems are working under normal
condition, they help in regulating different biological processes that include sleep, energy,
appetite, sex drive. It also permits expression of normal moods and different emotions (Parker et
al., 2015). However, when the stress response fails to shut off in the right time and then again
reset even after the passing of the difficult situation, it leads to depression in the susceptible
people. Again, many researchers are of the opinion that stress and depression is not that simple
but are quite complex and circular. Studies conducted had shown researchers to note down facts
like people who are stressed often neglect healthy lifestyles like maintaining proper diet,
performing regular exercise and sleeping in right time and many others. All these negative
healthy habits result in putting on more weight by the individuals resulting in developing obesity.
Being overweight in turn results the individual to suffer from cardiac issues and hypertension
due to fat accumulation in the blood vessels narrowing the lumen of the blood. Moreover, stress
also results individuals to pick up negative habits like smoking, drinking more than normal,
taking drugs and many others. Huge amount of smoking may result in development of
cardiopulmonary disorders. Excessive drinking may lead to liver cirrhosis renal failure, heart

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disorders as well (Gold, 2015). It also results in occurrence of depression again. Therefore, stress
results individuals to pick up many habits that again results in occurrence of different chronic
diseases as mentioned. Hence, stress affects human beings both directly and indirectly.
Social support reduces stress:
Stress is often aggravated or reduced due to a number of social factors. Researchers are of
the opinion that different forms of socials support can act as important stress buffer. The better
the social support the individuals receive, the less amount of stress will be developed and
therefore there will be less opportunity of the individuals to be affected in a negative way. Social
support can be seen to describe how intimate and available are individuals’ relationships with
their close significant persons like family members, acquaintances and other friends (Turecki &
Meaney, 2016). An interesting research journal shows that social support is responsible for
affecting the different balance of hormones in the body. Adequate amounts of social support are
seen to associate with the increase of level of hormones called oxytocin. This hormone functions
in decreasing the levels of anxiety in the individuals who are suffering from stress. This hormone
also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system that helps in calming down the responses.
Moreover, the researchers have also stated that oxytocin hormone also helps in stimulating those
individuals’ desire to see out for social contacts (Slavich & Irwin, 2014). It also helps in
increasing the sense of attachment to people who are important to them.. Therefore stressed
people on receiving proper social support experience oxygen boost. This make them feel relaxed
and less anxious. They are found to be more confident in their ability to cope with stress.
Oxytocin also helps in getting balancing other stress hormones like vasopressin that plays an

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important role in fight or flight behaviors. These behaviors include focused attention, enhanced
arousal, increase aggressive behaviors, general increase in the sympathetic nervous systems
(Beery & Kaufer, 2015). People are also seen who are stressed and withdraw from others rather
than seeking social support. In most cases they are taken to be more exposed to vasopressin than
oxytocin and therefore these have many negative effects. They face many issues like
interpersonal relationship s with children, friends, workers and others. They become more
isolated, frustrated and stressed. Therefore social care workers, social care agencies, counselors
and similar others should try to identify the stress in such individuals and try to provide them
support in ways which in releases their oxytocin levels and hence balances vasopressin levels
effectively (Olpin & Hesson, 2015). Community development by different private and public
agencies has taken the duties to identify vulnerable individuals and provide them proper social
support in order to help them overcome the stress.
Social factor that aggravates stress:
However, as the society is responsible for reducing the stress of patients and help
individuals to overcome stress by providing proper social support, there lie also negative aspects
of the society, which increase the stress among individuals. Often many individuals face social
discriminations, which affect them emotionally, and results in developing stress in them
(Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014). For example, immigrants often face social discriminations from
the inhabitants of the nation. The society may remain biased to skin color, language and cultural
traditions of many immigrants for which the immigrants develop a poor quality life. Besides,
work pressures which different individuals face in order to attain certain financial stability and
socioeconomic status to keep up with the society, creates stress in the individuals. The
organizations often provide several responsibilities on the individuals which they want to meet

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on any grounds. Such pressures are one of the reasons that results in stress among the
individuals. Moreover, many young adults face severe peer pressure and academic pressures in
their lives. The academic pressure is provided by the society on the individuals to meet their
expectation and emerge as dutiful citizens. Often this becomes a source of stress among the
individuals when they fail to meet up to the society’s expectation (Smollan, 2015). This results in
the occurrence of depression in the individuals that causes a poor quality lives in such
individuals.
Conclusion:
Stress usually affects humans in ways, which are not recognizable by individuals.
Exposure to chronic stress exposes the individual to improper release of stress hormones, which
cause continuous inflammation in different parts of the body. As the stress response, do not shut
off on the correct time, this inflammation continues to survive. This creates several disorders in
the body. Different brain disorders, heart disorders, cold and flu, depression and many others
take place. It is also seen that stress results in development of many unhealthy lifestyles like
smoking of cigarettes, improper eating habits, drug abuse and many others. These indirectly
result in many disorders like cardio-pulmonary disorders, obesity, mental disorders and similar
others. In such scenarios, social support like proper social bonding with families, friend and
relatives, effective community engagement and others come to great help as this help in release
of oxytocin in the individuals which balances stress and does not allow it to effect much in the
individual. Again, certain social factors like discrimination, work pressures, social status, peer
pressures, academic pressures all lead to development of stress that lead to many diseases.
Hence, every individual should be aware of the symptoms of stress and try to manage stress in
effective ways so that it does not create any illness.

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References:
Beery, A. K., & Kaufer, D. (2015). Stress, social behavior, and resilience: insights from
rodents. Neurobiology of stress, 1, 116-127.
Berry, D., Blair, C., Ursache, A., Willoughby, M.T. & Granger, D.A., (2014). Early childcare,
executive functioning, and the moderating role of early stress physiology. Developmental
psychology, 50(4), p.1250.
Braveman, P., & Gottlieb, L. (2014). The social determinants of health: it's time to consider the
causes of the causes. Public Health Reports, 129(1_suppl2), 19-31.
Cassel, J., (2017). Physical illness in response to stress. Social stress, pp.189-209.
Gold, P. W. (2015). The organization of the stress system and its dysregulation in depressive
illness. Molecular psychiatry, 20(1), 32-47.
Hall, S. J., Ferguson, S. A., Turner, A. I., Robertson, S. J., Vincent, G. E., & Aisbett, B. (2017).
The effect of working on-call on stress physiology and sleep: A systematic review. Sleep
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Koene, R.J., Prizment, A.E., Blaes, A. & Konety, S.H., (2016). Shared risk factors in
cardiovascular disease and cancer. Circulation, 133(11), pp.1104-1114.

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Smollan, R. K. (2015). Causes of stress before, during and after organizational change: a
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