Understanding Stress and Its Effects

Stress

• Stress: the general physical and emotional state accompanying reactions to a stressor
• Stressor: a physical or psychological event or condition that produces physical and emotional reactions
• Nervous system controls emotions involuntarily
• Sympathetic: stimulates breathing, muscles, and heart rate; releases cortisol and epinephrine (fight-or-flight)
• Parasympathetic: controls digestion, relaxation; directs blood away from muscles to kidneys and gut; inhibits stress hormones
• Allostatic load: the cost of chronic exposure to elevated or fluctuating endocrine or neural responses resulting from chronic or repeated stress situations
• Stress determined by personality, gender, culture, and past experiences
• Type A: impatient, perfectionist, highly competitive, sometimes hostile, can be excessively angry with poor coping skills
• Type B: relaxed, thoughtful, responds evenly to stress
• Type C: repressed anger, less able to express emotion, feels hopelessness, exaggerates response to stress
• Type D: negative emotions like anxiety and depression; avoids socialization
• Hardiness: optimistic view of conflict, loss, and stress
• Resilience: ability to respond to stressful situations in groups of people who are more likely to experience stress
• Nonreactive, homeostatic, and positive growth
• Negative effects of high cortisol and epinephrine: immune system problems (e.g., diseases with inflammation like diabetes), cardiovascular disease (increased blood pressure), digestive problems (IBS, ulcers, constipation)
• Exercise: can lessen physical stress before, during, and after stress exposure
• Sleep: 7-9 hours needed; 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders
• Social support and communication: manage stress, conflict resolution (clarify issues, find out what each person wants, and decide how to negotiate)
• Spiritual wellness: associated with greater coping skills and higher levels of overall wellness
• Time management: set priorities, schedule tasks, consolidate tasks, delegate responsibility, give yourself a break
• Cognitive & relaxation techniques: help manage stress
• Cardiovascular disease: conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels

Coronary Artery Disease & Arteriosclerosis

• Coronary artery disease: condition where arteries supplying the heart with oxygen and nutrients become narrowed by fatty deposits (cholesterol, triglycerides)
• Arteriosclerosis: generalized disease where medium-sized arteries harden and thicken
• Atherosclerosis: disease characterized by buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) in arteries
• Ischemia: insufficient blood flow to any tissue
• Causes of Angina Pectoris: generalized pain in chest, neck, and arms due to insufficient blood flow
• Thrombus: stationary blood clot
• Embolus: dislodged blood clot blocking flow in another area
• Stroke: a brain injury from blocked or damaged arteries supplying the brain
• Risk factor analysis: identifies factors increasing risk for cardiovascular disease (educating people, identifies baseline measurements)

Non-Modifiable & Modifiable Risk Factors

• Non-modifiable risk factors: personal/family history, age (men over 45, women over 55), gender (men more likely)
• Modifiable risk factors: hypertension (high blood pressure), causes damage to inner lining of blood vessels and plaque deposition, exercise, weight loss, less stress, smoking (damages artery walls, forms blood clots, decreases HDL), excessive body fat (increases triglyceride levels, lowers HDL, increase work on heart), diabetes (can't control blood pressure; damages blood vessels), high cholesterol (blockages, decreased intake of saturated fat, vitamin C, E), physical inactivity (can decrease blood pressure, reduce body fat and stress and triglycerides, and increase HDL), elevated blood triglycerides, elevated homocysteine, stress, abnormal EKG

EKG, Cancer, and Other Medical Conditions

• EKG: graphical representation of the heart's electrical activity; normal has 60-100 bpm, regular rhythm
• Treatment for Cardiovascular Disease: angioplasty, CABG, medications
• Cancer: uncontrolled multiplication of cells, responsible for 1 in 4 US deaths (second leading cause of death)
• Tumor: mass of tissue with no physiological purpose; benign or malignant
• Metastasis: spread of cancer cells
• Main causes of cancer: genetic factors, lifestyle factors, environmental factors
• Smoking related to 90% of lung cancers (death rate)
• Cancer risk factors for specific cancers (e.g., prostate cancer detected by PSA, cervical cancer by Pap test, etc.)

Other Conditions

• Alcohol associated with several cancers
• Acrylamide: probable human carcinogen in cooked starch-based foods
• Lack of fiber can cause cancer
• Phytochemicals have cancer-fighting properties
• General environmental pollution can contribute to cancer
• Microbes (e.g., HPV) can cause approximately 15-20% of cancers
• High estrogen levels
• Common cancers (e.g. breast, lung, colon and rectum): different procedures, tests, and treatments, and survival rates.

This quiz explores the concepts of stress, stressors, and the nervous system's role in emotional responses. It examines different personality types related to stress management and the physiological impacts of chronic stress. Test your knowledge on how stress affects health and well-being.