Petting Fido: The Effects Of Stress On The Human Body

Stress is very well known for just what it means: STRESS. Its effect on human beings from a local and a global standpoint is far greater than any of us imagine. Stress can overtake one’s body physically, mentally, emotionally, as well as behavioral aspects. This is not something to take lightly. This is actually very serious. If you notice, it’s not just older people that die this day and time with heart attacks, suicide, and things of this nature. People of all ages. Older people, younger people, and even really young people. Children, yes, I said children. Don’t automatically think that stress only affects older people that have lived a longer

Stress Is the body’s way of responding to the hectic lives most of us live, whether good or bad. The body releases chemicals into the bloodstream, which creates a rush of energy and strength If an individual is feeling stressed. This energy can prove useful if an individual is in physical danger. Because it enables a person’s survival instinct kicks in; it is often described as ‘fight or flight.’ In addition, stress can also have a negative effect on the body, for example: suffering from stress and leaving it unchecked can contribute to health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

When put under stress, both humans and baboons have cortisol and adrenaline found in their blood. These hormones are critical for survival, and other physical changes in the body such as a racing heart, increased blood pressure, and quickly responding muscles are all present when the body is put under stress. However, in regard to humans, these same physical responses can occur when the body is not in a life in death situation. Instead, it is common for psychological stresses such as public speaking, taking a test, paying taxes, or driving a vehicle to invoke the same physiological responses as someone in a critical situation. This can be unhealthy for the human body, as many people can get worked up over multiple stressors in one day,

When you are stressed out all the time, you probably do not have the lowest heart rate. Stress can lead your heart and your body to always be on the move, and doesn't give your body a chance to relax.

The Effect of Stress on Cardiovascular Disorders A cardiovascular disorder is any disorder effecting the heart and circulatory system. There is evidence that links stress plays a role in the development of two types of cardiovascular disorders, hypertension (high blood pressure) and coronary heart disease (CHD), which reduces the flow of blood to the heart. Stress may directly cause cardiovascular problems by; rising heart rate which wears the lining of the blood vessels, increasing blood pressure which causes too much pressure on the blood vessels resulting in damage, also mounting glucose levels leading to blocked blood vessels. Stress can also have an effect on our lifestyle, we may find

Acute stress causes the arousal of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS comprises of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which prepares the individual for ‘fight or flight’ and the parasympathetic branch, which returns the individual to their original state of relaxation. Part of the SNS response is the sympathetic adrenal system (SAM), this system along with the SNS is collectively called the sympathomedullary pathway. The SNS is activated when the neurotransmitter noradrenaline is released and travels to the organs of the body preparing them for rapid action. Common responses to this would be increased heart rate, increased pupil size and metabolic changes such as a release of

The effects of stress and heart disease is explained in a study Chida and Steptoe (2009), in which investigators looked at populations of people in healthy known areas, and assessed in total twenty five different studies. Anger and hostility has a positive relationship with coronary heart disease and was greater in men compared to women. Their findings also showed that individuals who had cardiac arrest and were resuscitated, twenty five percent admitted to feeling extremely stressed with work and family instances just twenty four hours before they had cardiac arrest. Daily activities that provoked moderate, acute stress demonstrated lower levels of blood supply to the hearts muscle. Deanfield et al. (1984)

Chronic stress can trigger a negative cardiovascular system response that damages artery walls and stop blood flow. This causes high blood pressure and increase heart rate which can promote a heart attack.

Stress is when someone is in a state of mental or emotional, and it can ultimately affect factors that lead to heart disease such as high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and overeating.

Donner also said that there are nerves that run from the top of the neck down to your dog’s spinal cord to just above the pelvis. Once you rest your palm on top of your dog’s head or neck and slowly brush it downward along his spine and on the top of his tail, you can help in reducing your dog’s stress and anxiety. In this case, petting your dog can help your dog to relax on stressful and frightening situations such as vaccinations or a simple vet visit.

Stress in a pre-term infant can cause health complications such as changes in vital signs, hyperextension of extremities, irritability, and the inability to integrate with other sensory input. These and other stress symptoms can delay the infant’s neurodevelopment (LaRossa, 2017). Studies have been done as to the best ways to decrease the stress that impacts the neonates daily and have shown that breast feeding and skin-to-skin contact can help reduces stress. A question that was asked was does skin-to-skin contact with the father help reduce stress as well as it does with the mother.

In a stress response, negative thoughts, beliefs and feelings are perceived as a threat. This signals the lower parts of the brain, and messages are sent from the amygdala to the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland signals the adrenal glands, which then excrete the hormones cortisone, norepinephrine and epinephrine. This stress response triggers the sympathetic nervous system, and readies the body to carry out a fight or flight response. According to Dr. Rankin, the majority of people have fifty stress responses a day, and some people can have more than twice as many.

I am someone who is deeply interested in studying the human condition as it ranges in response to a variety of life experiences and stressors. Humans respond to stress differently and largely as a function of their environmental context. The many ways in which the systems of the human body cope with stress can influence long-term health and developmental outcomes that may even cross over into subsequent generations.

Varvogli and Darviri (2011) stated that stress is more likely lead to negative health outcomes of hypertension, obesity. Reducing anxiety reduces systolic blood pressure and heart rate (Yehunda, 2011) which help to prevent the complication related to heart diseases. Group therapy, individual therapies and social support groups can help with stress management (Yehunda, 2011).

The first way to deal with stress is to learn what causes it and what effect it has on your body. One of the most common effects of stress on the body is muscle tension. When you are stressed, your body goes into a protection mode to prevent injury. Tension over an extended period can lead to disorders linking to stress such as migraines. Stress can have serious effects on the respiratory system. Since stress can cause you to breathe harder, it can initiate panic attacks from hyperventilation. The respiratory system works with the cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system includes blood vessels and the heart working in tandem to make the body function properly. Acute stress and short-term stress cause your heart rate to increase, which causes you to breathe more rapidly. Acute stress such as this can trigger stress hormones like cortisol and increase your blood pressure. The fight or flight response, which associated with stress, is when cortisol is