Stress can affect a person’s health in four main ways: in a negative physical manner, in a positive physical manner, in a negative mental manner, and in a positive mental manner. According to Richard Restak, MiDstress can be defined as, “any action or situation that places special physical or psychological demands on us.” By this definition, stress can manifest and affect the human body and mind in different ways The human body and mind need to stay in homeostasis. Another definition of health is the simple term: homeostasis. Stress changes a person’s homeostasis, for the better or worse Stress can bring about negative effects to a person’s health, When a person experiences stress, the hormone cortisol is released. Cortisol rises a person‘s blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. High levels of cortisol can lead to heart failure, among many other physical complications.
Adrenalin is another hormone released by stress Adrenal glands produce adrenalin under stress; this raises a person‘s heart rate briefly The term for brief, rapid heart racing is defined as a stress reaction for a reason. Long-term stress also affects a person’s health, although it may not show physical signs presently, it can be equally as harmful. Research from Ohio State University in 2013 found that prolonged stress increases the risk of a heart attack, gastrointestinal issues, diabetes, and wounds healing at a slower rate. There have been many experiments done by scientists to find exactly what stress can do to the body, In an experiment done by Steven F. Mair, he found a startling resultr Steven E Mair took two groups of rats.
The control group was able to feed and roam their living arrangements with no change The second group was shocked with no warning, intermittently, Rats that experienced stress developed a weaker immune system, and were prone to disease, compared to the control group. Stress can affect the human body negatively, but it can also become a useful tool in other circumstances. As stated in the introductory paragraph, stress can manifest in the body in many forms. Stress can affect a person’s physical health positively as well. A person who wishes to be in better physical shape will put stress on their muscles, Putting stress on the muscles is the only way to build more muscle tissue.
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The muscle tissue must reach its maximum endurance and tear, in order to rebuild into a stronger muscle. Stress on the physical body also builds a person’s endurance. Norman Cousins explains this phenomenon simply, “[stress] makes the scarred part of the body better able to resist the insult that caused the scarring.” Thus, stress can make the human body even stronger and more enduring. Although some people thrive on stress, it can also increase susceptibility to mental malfunctions. Have you ever heard a person apologize for their behavior and reply, “1 am just stressed”? This person may well be justified in their replyt that Stress can cause mental health changes. Stress in prolonged periods can affect a person’s mental acuity.
It can cause irritability, fatigue, depression, disorganization, racing thoughts, and deterioration in oval performance, Stress may affect a person’s mental health negatively, but it can also do well to a person’s mentalityt In low doses, stress can stimulate us to perform our best (motivation). An example would be a student writing an essay. This student is under the stress of doing well on their essay, and in return, works even harder. As stated earlier, adrenalin is one of the major hormones produced under stress. Adrenalin can also have positive effects. In one experiment done by the University of California, rats were experimented on using adrenalin shotst Rats in the controlled group were not injected upon arriving at an ideal spot in their cage.
The second group of rats was injected with adrenalin when they arrived at their preferred area in the cage. The second group had a higher level of mental arousal and a better recall memory. This experiment found that under certain levels of stress, it could improve memory. Stress affects a person‘s health in a multitude of ways. Stress can affect a person’s mental and physical health, both positively and negatively. Stress is a complicated factor in a person’s health. A person can stay in good health by using stress as a tool and not a hindrance.
