Stress, and its effect on the Body - Essay Example

Stress, and its effect on the Body In today’s fast-paced world, stress and stress related diseases are considered to contribute to 75% of all illnesses. Stress, though seemingly insignificant, may play an important part in various body dysfunctions and may be a central cause of premature aging. But the question is, how can stress lead to disease? According to Hans Selye, the Canadian physiologist who is known as the ‘father of stress’, the body reacts to prolonged stress through a series of responses called the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’, or G.A.S (Selye, 1956).

He noticed that the initial symptoms of any disease were amazingly similar. This was true in surprisingly varied cases; a new job, a difficult breakup, disappointment and failure, trouble at school or infection for example. Thus he concluded that the response of the body to any stressful stimuli must be the same. The body’s response to stress follows a somewhat fixed pattern, which is known as the G.A.S. The G.A.S has three stages; a) the Alarm stage, b) the Resistance stage and c) the Exhaustion stage.

The Alarm reaction is characterized by anxiety, surprise and is a fore-runner of the fight or flight syndrome. The adrenal glands are signaled to release more adrenaline, noradrenalin, and cortisol into the blood, causing certain body processes to accelerate and others to slow down. This prepares the body for whatever reaction it might be required to take. Although due to the Alarm reaction the body is primed up for emergencies, it also faces a few setbacks. A slightly prolonged effect of stress would result in the person suffering from headache, fever, fatigue, sore muscles, shortness of breath, diarrhea, upset stomach, loss of appetite, and a lack of energy.

Incidentally all these symptoms are characteristic of every initial form of sickness and ill health, and also of stressful travel, high-altitude sickness and excessive tension (for example, during final exams, and when one is in love). ‘Resistance’ follows the initial alarm reaction, and is the stage where the body adjusts to fighting against prolonged and continuous stress. During this time, the body processes stabilize and outwardly the person seems to be completely normal. But although this means that he or she has been able to adapt to the stressful stimulus, it does not mean he/she is protected.

In fact, the risk of infection becomes greater at this stage. During the resistance reaction, the first symptoms of psychosomatic disorders begin to develop. If the stress is resolved in this phase though, the person can be expected to achieve the resting state quickly. But continuous stress can lead to the final stage of the G.A.S; that is ‘Exhaustion’. Exhaustion occurs when the adrenal glands can no longer meet the demands laid on them by prolonged stress. The body’s resources are overwhelmed and it sees difficulty in producing hormones to deal with the stress.

Ultimately, this will lead to psychomatic disease, the depletion of one’s health, and complete collapse. Stress may seem trivial, but experiments show that it is not to be taken lightly. Selye exposed rats to different types of stress, and after dissection found similar results. The rats revealed enlargement of the adrenalin cortex, atrophy of the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes and other lymphatic structures and deep, bleeding ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. He also observed that animals under prolonged stress suffered from sexual derangements.

The young experienced very low growth rate (or in extreme cases, no growth at all); and lactating females produced no milk. Wounds healed a lot slower when the subject was faced with stress; and on continuous exposure the body’s immune system becomes depressed. Reference: Selye H. (1976) ‘The Stress of life’ (Rev. Ed). New York: McGraw- Hill Book Co. Word Count: 604