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Stress Essay

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Stress is a factor that can affect people of all ages and genders. Circumstances of life lived by someone can lead to both physical and psychological health issues. Stress is defined “any uncomfortable emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes” (1). Some stress can be beneficial if it is for a short time period because it will produce a boost that provides enough energy to help people get through situations like exams at school or work deadlines. However, an extreme amount of stress can have consequences on our daily life, on our brain and on our health. Stress can badly affect students and workers. In fact, “the 2015 American College Health Association National College Health …show more content…

However, stress in long term represent a danger for the brain. Stress causes the release of a hormone named cortisol. “Cortisol has been shown to damage and kill cells in the hippocampus (the brain area responsible for your episodic memory) and there is robust evidence that chronic stress causes premature brain aging. Without cortisol, you would die – but too much of it is not a good thing. It seems it makes your brain more vulnerable to damage such as strokes, ageing and stressful events.” (4) The last effect of stress that I will discuss today is the effect of stress on our health. Stress can also cause health issues if the amount is extreme. The gain of weight, depression and heat diseases are the most health issued caused by stress. Some people when stressing have a bad tendency to eat a lot without controlling themselves. That tendency after a long time can lead to a gain weight and worst diabetes. Depression is the second most health issued caused by stress. Some people that are severely depressed have elevated cortisol levels which can permanently damage brain cells. “A study in the June issue of Nature Medicine sheds light on the phenomenon. Matthias Nahrendorf, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, discovered that blood samples taken from medical residents enduring high levels of stress contained a surplus of disease-fighting white blood cells. Previous research had suggested that cortisol changes the texture of white blood

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