The Effects Of Stress On The Body
There are many different effects of stress on the body. The short term effects have been well documented and studied by biologists. The long term effects are harder to assess in scientific research because they can vary from person to person, but stress is much better understood now than it was a few decades ago.
At the physical level, stress is what happens when we are faced with a problem. It is often called the ‘fight or flight’ reflex. The hormone adrenaline is pumped around our body in large quantities to make us able to act quickly, either to fight off the danger or to run away from it. The heart beats faster, breathing quickens, our muscles tense and our senses are on red alert. Most animals have some form of this response.
What happens in biological terms is that when we sense a threat, an alarm is set off in the brain by the hypothalamus. It does not distinguish between types of threat, although it will vary the strength of the reaction depending on the degree of threat and whether the threat is immediate. This means that it reacts not only to a physical danger (muggers in the street) but also to a competitive danger (second place race runner challenging our lead) or an emotional, psychological or financial danger (boss threatens us with dismissal if report is not on his desk in 15 minutes).
The endocrine and sympathetic nervous systems receive a signal from the brain and flood the body with the stress hormones ? besides adrenaline, these include norepinephrine and cortisol. This is how our body goes into a state of high alert in response to stress.
An increased heart rate allows more blood flow (and thus, oxygen) to the large muscle groups in order to enable faster flight and harder fighting. The blood vessels closest to the surface of the skin restrict to prevent heavy bleeding in case we are injured. The levels of blood sugar increase to allow us more energy and a quicker response time.
While our bodies are experiencing the fight or flight response, other systems slow down ? growth hormones, immune function, reproductive and digestive function are all affected.
If we are facing a real physical threat, these autonomic responses are incredibly useful and can help us to survive a dangerous situation.
However, the vast majority of situations which provoke this response in modern man have nothing to do with physical threats, but rather workplace deadlines and the like. As tempting as it may be to either run away or punch your boss, it’s generally not appropriate.
When we have this response and do not have to actually respond in a “fight or flight” fashion, then the physical effects linger. In many case, this lasts until the next stressful stimulus comes up.
Because of this, many people spend a great deal of their time in this heightened state; something not conducive to good physical (or mental) health. While the respiratory system and the heart are working overtime, the rest of the body, including important systems like the digestive, immune and reproductive systems may be underactive, leading to health problems including heart disease.
The effects of stress on the body are harmful to our cardiovascular system and keep our immune system from doing its job properly ? it’s no mystery why people get sick so often these days!
