The Effects of Short Term and Long Term Stress on Physiological Processes

The do of Short marches and Long Term extend on Physiological processes Stress can have many definitions, the NHS describes it as render is the feeling of being on a lower floor too such(prenominal) mental or emotional pressure (2012) and some whitethorn describe it as when our demands outweigh our reception. A stressor is anything that is likely to set off your stress levels, when a person is feeling overwhelmed or they cannot cope with an event or short letter (whether it be physical or psychological). During the 1920s Walter Cannon began to recognise chain of apace occurring reactions in ones physical structure in response to acute stress.He describe this reaction as the weight-lift or flight response which go away coif the frame to either fight or flee from a threatening side (real or imaginary). Cannon discovered that during this response a series of physiological reactions testament take place such as optic and respiratory rate testament increase to support f or more atomic number 8 to be pumped just about the dead body to prepare the muscles for action. Blood pressure pass on increase as the store vessels forget constrict to enable to blood to ingrain faster and more smoothly around the body.Pupils will dilate as they allow more light into the eye consequently allowing a boarder view of the situation. Our gracious nervous response to stress is our neighboring(a) response, this is an un experiencelable reflex to a stressful situation. Our hypothalamus send signals through our nerve cells to our pituitary gland to our adrenal glands, specifically our adrenal medulla. Here, the hormone epinephrine is pumped into the blood stream causing the many physiological changes in our body. Also, noradrenaline will be passage causing the non-essential bodys to either shut go through or slow down e.g. digestive ashes and immune system. As the adrenaline is coursing through our body it triggers the emission of sugar from our temporary stores supplying muscularity around the body. Originally founded by Seyle in 1956, general adaptation syndrome refers to the three facecoach reaction to stress and our adaptation to relations and living with it. Stage one is the charitable nervous response an immediate timidity reaction to a stress and our fight/slight response. Stage two is the tip of resistance (adaptation) where a prolong icon to stress has occurredcausing our body to become familiarised to the stressor and the increase amount of hormones in our body (adrenaline/adrenocorticotrophic). As a way of conserving vitality and for optimum nutrient absorption a person may feel minify desire for physical activity. The final stage is the exhaustion stage, as there has been an increased amount of corticosteroids in the body, the immune system will have become often weaker making a person much more susceptible to chronic distemper/heart attacks/severe infection as our bodies are much less adequate of an immune r esponse.If a person has botch up then there body will be in the process of the parasympathetic nervous system nervous response, it differs to the sympathetic response as hypothalamus signals to the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone. This hormone will trigger corticosteroids into the blood from the adrenal cortex which suppresses the immune system and converts glycogen in muscles and the liver into sugar. In 1997, Marmot conducted a study into low frolic control and the risk of coronary heart disease. It was determined that low job control did increase the risk of heart disease.