The Effects of Stress

Instructions:  Before half-term we covered four major types of stress-related illness. These include; the effects of stress on the heart, the immune system, the digestive system and in terms of stomach ulcers. Other medical effects of stress include acne, asthma and eating disorders. Detailed below is information on each of the medical conditions we covered in class. Please read the information below on each stress-related illness and then look for some research using google scholar if possible to support & critique the information. Good luck.

Stress-related illness 1 = Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).

Coronary heart disease is often linked with chronic stress. Chronic stress refers to an event which is long-term. CHD is not going to develop because you have lost your wallet! It is thought that the physiological changes which are seen within our bodies in stressful times may cause CHD over time. The constriction of arteries increases blood pressure and the increased blood flow wears down the arteries over time. Furthermore there is a greater release of fats into the bloodstream which may block our arteries and result in CHD.

Stress-related illness 2 = Weakened Immune System 

Stress may also significantly weaken our immune system over time. When we are stressed our adrenal cortex produces corticosteroids. These hormones prevent the body from producing lymphocytes which we use to attack foreign bodies such as viruses. 

Stress-related illness 3 = Stress and Stomach Ulcers

Stress and other lifestyle habits such as drinking alcohol and excess amounts of caffeine may cause too much stomach acid thus damaging the protective lining of our stomachs.

In modern medical research a bacteria known as H.Pylori is thought to be the primary cause of gastric ulcers, however 40% of Americans carry this bacteria and most will never develop stomach ulcers. WHY? This is because stomach ulcers are caused by a combination of things. H.Pylori alone may not cause ulceration, and stress alone probably wont, but a combination of the two would definitely heighten the risk of gastric ulceration. 

Stress-related illness 4 = Stress and Digestive Problems

Commonly stress is also related to problems in our gut. We can probably all relate to this, before a big exam or our driving test we experience great discomfort in our stomach's, almost like a knot feeling in the pit of our tummies. Some researchers believe we have a gut-brain axis, essentially suggesting that its a two way street. We experience stress which causes discomfort in our stomach, and the discomfort in our stomach causes mental problems like anxiety and depression. 

Stress also opens the intestinal gates as our corticotropin-releasing hormone attaches to mast cells which then degranulate and cause the gut to leak. When the gut leaks we have things such as toxins and undigested food floating around our bloodstream causing things such as bloating and diarrhoea. 

Stress also fuels inflammation, when we are exposed to chronic stress, we are also exposed to cortisol for too long and therefore we are not sensitive to it's anti-inflammatory capabilities.