Summary: Even though most people believe that stress always damages a person’s health, studies have shown that short periods of stress area actually beneficial to the immune system. These studies are not about long period stress; it is known that long period stress can damage the immune system and even cause serious medical issues. The studies are about short periods of stress, like minutes or hours. In a study in 2009, blood samples were taken from patients before and after having knee surgery. The patients who had positive stress responses during the surgery recovered recovered about a week faster than those who had negative stress responses. Also, in a study by Dhabhar involving rats, injected hormones had the same effect on immune cells as the “stressed” rats had.
Connection: This connects to our studies about the human body systems; it especially connects to the immune system. Stress causes a change in hormones in a person’s body, and if the stress is for long periods of time, it can cause an imbalance of hormones. We learned that hormones are released by signals in the brain, and that hormones are transported through the bloodstream to stimulate certain cells. These long term hormonal responses can lead to disorders, such as Graves’ disease and obesity. However, the studies showed that short periods of stress which caused higher counts of immune cells in a person’s body helped them to heal quicker. Therefore, to help a person heal more quickly after an injury, scientists think that they can inject hormones (like the stress signals) into a person’s body. This is like tricking the brain to release these hormones.
Date Published: July 4, 2012
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Short-term-stress-may-boost-immune-response-3684151.php
What hormones specifically lead to the mentioned positive effect, and how does the suppression of the immune system due to stress disrupt those hormones.
ReplyDeleteAre there any other cases where streess can be used in positive ways?
ReplyDeleteBen- Anxiety and stress cause the body to release chemicals like norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol. These chemicals stimulate the body and mobilize immune cells, which helps the healing process. Without stress, these chemicals are not released, and the person will not heal as quickly.
ReplyDeletePelin- Yes, according to the article below, short term stress is also positive in other ways. Stress has been known to improve memory and protect against some memory-related diseases, like Alzheimer's. Also, stress has been known to help people perform tasks more efficiently.
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