The Biology of Your Body’s Response to Stress Anxiety and the stress response developed in our bodies long before humans became modern. This potent force is the subject of investigation by researchers. Learn how stress affects our bodies, which can either save or kill us.
The majority of people today have very little chance of ever coming into contact with a wild bear. Despite this, there is still a high chance that you will experience a stress response that makes you feel like you are avoiding or protecting yourself from a bear.
This stress response can show up in our bodies when we are asked to give a presentation at work or on a nerve-wracking first date: the sensation of pins and needles pricking the skin, sweaty palms, and discomfort in the bowels. Living as modern, social humans with biological systems that have evolved over millions of years is this reality.
According to South Dakota University behavioral neuroscientist Cliff Summers, “the human social interaction is the most stressful thing that we do.”
Even though it hurts, this acute stress response often means that your brain and nervous system are working well and doing important and good things. Despite the fact that biologists and neuroscientists are still trying to figure out how hormones, neurotransmitters, and physiological effects affect our behavior and health, which in turn causes stress responses.
Intense Pressure Reaction: Stress Hormones and Reactions to Stress Stress is often portrayed as the antithesis of human experience. However, it frequently serves as a positive and productive force for survival and change.
To begin, stress is defined as “a state of homeostasis being challenged” by one research lens. This concept is based on the work of Hans Selye, who was known as the “father” of stress theory in the middle of the 19th century.) In point of fact, the majority of living things in search of security deal with this kind of stress on a daily basis.
So, in terms of the acute stress response, what exactly happens in the body when there is stress, anxiety, or nervousness?
Hormones of Stress Hormonally, a stressful state, whether caused by an unexpected bear or an irate boss in the office, increases two important chemicals in the body: Summers claims that cortisol and adrenaline are involved.
These two stress hormones and a few neurotransmitters work together to improve blood sugar flow to the brain and carry out the body’s fight-or-flight mechanisms. Let’s start with cortisol’s effects.
The majority of the body’s cells are prevented from absorbing sugar when cortisol enters the bloodstream. As a result, there is more sugar in the blood that can be absorbed by the brain, improving cognitive function to deal with stressful situations.
Adrenaline, which is also known as epinephrine, is released from the adrenal glands while this is taking place as a result of the body’s stress response. The adrenaline hormone quickly spreads throughout the body, including the eyes, heart, blood vessels, and airways, as it floods the bloodstream.
Adrenaline, or epinephrine, is primarily responsible for releasing and assisting in the conversion of sugar and nutrients stored in muscle and other organ cells.
Athletes, such as a marathon runner, the proverbial mother who demonstrates a feat of strength to rescue her child, or the unfortunate hiker who encountered a bear, all exhibit stress reactions that result in an increase in energy.
According to Summers, “the adrenaline and cortisol are working to release this energy into your system, so you actually have more energy to run away.”
Also, this epinephrine can cause some of the localized reactions that many of us identify as feeling anxious or stressed, like sweaty hands or stomach pain. This is due in part to the fact that our intestines and glands contain adrenal receptors. Additionally, when the adrenaline hormone binds to receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, for instance, it prevents typical contractions, which cause discomfort.
The Danger of Persistent Stress According to Summers’ research on mice, the frequency, severity, and pace of this stress response can have very different long-term effects on the body and mind in animals and humans alike.
Summers asserts, “We tend to think stress is a bad thing.” It turns out that my experiments demonstrate pretty clearly that having a strong stress response is beneficial, but only for a brief period of time.
The ideal stress response activates and deactivates rapidly, switching between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The fight-or-flight state of stress can have a number of serious health effects if it persists for an extended period of time.
Summers asserts, “A high level of stress will make you sick and kill you.”
Examining the Full Spectrum of Stress One nebulous finding of the research is that, in contrast to situations that are moderately stressful but optimize brain performance with elevated cortisol levels, highly stressful events can inhibit cognitive function.
According to Summers and other researchers, the balance of hormones in the brain and bodily responses is part of a complex spectrum that these findings suggest falls within. Two distinct groups are also being illuminated by emerging research: people who can handle stress and people who are sensitive to stress.
Summers says, for instance, that he observes this taking place in his classroom during exams. Despite having studied and comprehended the material, many students perform worse under stressful conditions, despite the fact that some students appear to perform better when taking tests.
Cortisol levels were up to nine times higher than during a more relaxed period when other researchers measured the actual stress hormone levels of young medical school students preparing for an exam.
According to Summers, the majority of current research in the field focuses on determining “What causes some people to be sensitive to stress? And what is it that makes other people calm?
The responses to questions about stress response are likely to point to important anti-stress techniques and methods that could improve the overall well-being of many people and animals.
