Influence of Stress on the Immune System.

Authors Avatar by torquec (student)

“Outline and evaluate what research has shown the effects of stress on the immune system”

The immune system is made up of cells and chemicals that seek and destroy bacteria and viruses. When someone is experiencing a stressful situation, all the body's resources are diverted and this suppresses the immune system by stopping the production of white blood cells lymphocytes. Over a long period of time, the person's immune system stops functioning properly and is left open to infection. Short-term stress involves the suppression of the immune system, known as immunosuppression as part of the need to divert all resources into coping with the emergency. Segerstrom & Miller in their Meta review on 293 studies argue that acute-time limited stressors, stressors that may last 5-100 minutes may in fact lead to upregulation. When we become stressed the adrenal glands secrets adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream, Adrenaline increases suppressor T-cells which slow down the immune system and decreases helper T-cells which stimulates cells to attack. Also Cortisol is secreted this inhibits the function of phagocytes which engulfs and antigen and decreases the production of lymphocytes especially T-cells.

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Kiecolt-Glaser et al research looks to establish a link between stress and reduced immune functioning; this was based on the assumption that the body’s response to stress decreases the immune functioning. They aimed to establish a difference in immune response between conditions of high and low stress. They also aimed to see if other factors such as psychiatric symptoms, loneliness, and life events were associated with immune functioning. Kiecolt-Glaser et al found that T-Cell activity were declined between the low stress and high stress conditions therefore, the findings confirm the assumption that stress is associated with reduced immune functioning. ...

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