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Chronic stress at various stages of life can lead to chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation. Individuals with high stress in childhood (abuse, neglect, etc.) are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other problems associated with immune dysregulation in adulthood.
Frequent stress: the magnitude and frequency of response to stress is what determines the level of allostatic load which affects the body. Failed shut-down: the inability of the body to shut off while stress accelerates and levels in the body exceed normal levels, for example, elevated blood pressure.
Cellular stress response is the wide range of molecular changes that cells undergo in response to environmental stressors, including extremes of temperature, exposure to toxins, and mechanical damage. Cellular stress responses can also be caused by some viral infections. [1]
For example, students who are taking exams show weaker immune responses if they also report stress due to daily hassles. [45] While responses to acute stressors typically do not impose a health burden on young, healthy individuals, chronic stress in older or unhealthy individuals may have long-term effects that are detrimental to health. [46]
Mechanisms for the behavioral immune system include sensory processes through which cues connoting the presence of parasitic infections are perceived (e.g., the smell of a foul odor, the sight of pox or pustules), as well as stimulus–response systems through which these sensory cues trigger a cascade of aversive affective, cognitive, and behavioral reactions (e.g., arousal of disgust ...
An immune response is a physiological reaction which occurs within an organism in the context of inflammation for the purpose of defending against exogenous factors. These include a wide variety of different toxins, viruses, intra- and extracellular bacteria, protozoa, helminths, and fungi which could cause serious problems to the health of the host organism if not cleared from the body.
The ability of the immune system to respond to pathogens is diminished in both the young and the elderly, with immune responses beginning to decline at around 50 years of age due to immunosenescence. [ 112 ] [ 113 ] In developed countries , obesity , alcoholism , and drug use are common causes of poor immune function, while malnutrition is the ...
However, the problem arises when there is a persistent threat. First-time exposure to a stressor will trigger an acute stress response in the body; however, repeated and continuous exposure causes the stressor to become chronic. [4] McEwen and Stellar (1993) argued there is a "hidden cost of chronic stress to the body over long time periods". [8]