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How Does Stress Affect the Immune System?
How does stress affect the immune system: The effects of chronic, prolonged stress suppresses our immunity and makes us vulnerable to illness and disease. When we are feeling stressed our bodies go into a state of "fight or flight" and then shuts down the long term, non-essential bodily functions such as our immune system. During a stressful situation or event our nervous system produces a hormone that tells our body to increase heart rate, produce adrenaline and pump blood to our major muscles in preparation for defense. Our immune system is not considered important for defense during stressful situations. The effects of stress is detrimental to our health: During chronic or prolonged stress our immune system is not functioning fully. Our body is then vulnerable to infections, diseases, and allergies. You might have noticed then when you suffer from chronic or prolonged amount of stress that you are morely likely to catch a cold or the flu. A continued dysfunctional immune system can lead to diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
How the stress affect the Sympathetic Nervous System? When we experience stress our Sympathetic Nervous System responds rapidly to mobilize the body’s defence mechanism, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation, perspiration, cardiac blood flow, breathing becomes deeper and faster, adrenaline is produced which stimulates the heart and other organs to help defend the body. The SNS also reduces certain systems such as bowel movements and digestion which are not needed in stressful or dangerous situations. Chronic stress has detrimental effects on the body. Stress, and the ability to cope with it, influences a person’s health. Regular relaxation techniques triggers the workings of the Parasympathetic Nervous System which in turn sends relaxation signals throughout the body allowing it to heal.
How does stress affect the immune system and health? Stress has been shown to alter the immune system and increase the susceptibility to infection and certain forms of cancer. The effects of stress can result in dis-eases like hypertension, asthma, ulcers, allergies, hives, acne, high cholesterol and others have been shown to be enhanced by stress. How does stress affect the immune system?: When the immune system is dysfunctional it leaves the body vulnerable to infections, allergies, and perhaps cancer.
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