How Stress can negatively impact our immune system
As humanity faces a global crisis there will be higher levels of stress and pressure and fear. In these traumatic situations which are out of our control, it is important to address the effect of stress on our bodies.
Not only is stress one of the leading underlying causes for 80% of illnesses it has a massive impact on immune function. When humans are stressed their body goes through a fight or flight response and this releases hormones into the body which can suppress the function of the immune cells. Also those who are stressed often resort to negative lifestyle behaviour like drinking and smoking and poor eating habits.
Over the past 30 years, more than 300 studies have been done on stress and immunity in humans, and together they have shown that psychological challenges are capable of modifying various features of the immune response.
So how could stress “get inside the body” to affect the immune response?
First the sympathetic (fight or flight) messages from the brain can effect the secretions of the immune cells and decrease the effectiveness of fighting infections.
Secondly the stress hormone corticosteroid and other hormonal secretions can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system (e.g. lowers the number of lymphocytes).
Thirdly, stress can also have an indirect effect on the immune system as a person may use unhealthy behavioural coping strategies to reduce their stress, such as drinking and smoking.
Although stress can take on many forms the conclusion of a meta-analysis study states that stressors in the form of fight-or-flight situations faced by our human evolutionary ancestors (eg: environmental threats, predation or natural disasters) elicited potentially beneficial changes in the immune system. However, the more chronic the stress, like we experience in our modern day, the more components of the immune system were affected in a potentially detrimental way.
So as we face this global pandemic, social distancing, financial stress and living under one roof 24:7 with loved ones who may be starting to drive you bonkers – remember to keep calm. Stress will have a negative impact on our immune system and ability to fight off any infections or disease. So take deep breaths, meditate, get outside, exercise and step away from any stressful situations, talk to someone who can ease your mind and remember you can only control the present moment. Some stress in our lives is helpful and can guide us in directions that can keep us safe from harm but stress that lingers and manifests over a long period of time can have more negative effects.
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