Stress and the immune system

Stress is something we all encounter – sometimes it’s a short term thing like preparing to speak at a business meeting, or taking exams, it could be something over a longer term like dealing with a divorce or loss of a loved one.  Occasionally it is a life changing event which we have to adapt to in order to cope and it is hard to see the end in sight– such as looking after a parent with dementia, being unemployed, or trying to cope with a life changing disability. 

Short term stressors don’t have a particularly negative effect on our immune system, but long-term stressors definitely do.

Your body is hard wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you from predators or life threatening situations.  Once we encounter a stressful situation – such as a near miss car accident – the hypothalamus in your brain prompts your adrenal glands to pump out hormones including adrenaline and cortisol – the fight or flight effect.  Adrenaline increases your heart rate, raises your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies.  Cortisol increases blood sugars and the availability of substances which repair body tissues.  So you get ready to run for your life and your body is on alert to try to repair any injuries. However in chronically stressful situations the fight or flight response doesn’t get switched off and we are then at increased risk of:

·         Depression

·         Anxiety

·         Digestive problems

·         Heart disease – including high blood pressure

·         Sleep problems

·         Weight gain

·         Memory and concentration impairment

Our immune system is normally flexible and adaptive, but this becomes compromised as we get older or if we have a chronic, long term illnesses. For example the immune system can lose its ability to self regulate – we can develop allergies, or autoimmune diseases such as Crohns or MS.  These challenges can then lead to a further decrease in the ability of the immune system to be flexible and this stress can lower immunity further.

Stress can also lead us to take up unhealthy coping strategies such as smoking, drinking or comfort eating.  These all have an impact on our immune system, as well as affecting other major systems such as the heart.

It is vital that in this busy, modern age that we learn to manage our stress levels.  Have a look at our blog on managing stress, and try:

·         Scale back – at work or at home.  Try to cut back on everything that you say ‘yes’ to.  Whilst this is not easy to do, most of us can find small things we can leave or delegate to someone else.

·         Family and friends – surround yourself with people who make you feel better.  This may include clergy, close friends or family.  Volunteering can also have a positive impact on our stress levels as we get to help others.

·         Prepare – most of us prepare well at work, but often we then get stressed at home or on journeys as we don’t plan enough time.

·         Take up a hobby – something calming and non-competitive!

·         Relax – exercise, yoga, meditation – any of these can help to lower stress levels and make us feel good about ourselves

·         Sleep – when we are tired, we get irritable and more likely to snap and feel stressed by minor irritations.  Again, sleep can be easier said than done, but have a look at our previous newsletters for more advice on this.

References

Mayo Clinic (2013) Chronic stress puts your health at risk.  Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001

Mayo Clinic (2012) Stress management.  Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/SR00032/NSECTIONGROUP=2

McLeod, S (2010) Stress and the immune system.  Available at: http://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-immune.html

Segerstrom & Miller (2004) Psychological stress and the human immune system.  A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry.  Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361287/