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Stress is a pathological process resulting from the reaction of the body to external forces and abnormal conditions that tend to disturb the organism's homeostasis. The term includes "aggressology" (French: agressologie) & the French "agression". [1] "The body" is not limited to that of humans; all living organisms have stressors and stress responses, but the term is not used, by the National Library of Medicine, in indexing information on lower animals, plants or microorganisms.

Stress and the immune system

The major hormones that are produced during stress are the adrenal glands' secretion of catecholamines, glucocorticoids and DHEA. The major glucocorticoid, cortisol (a prednisone-like anti-inflammatory steroid) reduces the immune response. In fact, "catecholamines and cortisol can both be immunosuppressive if chronically elevated... In contrast, DHEA is a precursor to sex hormones and is immune enhancing. In vitro studies have shown that cortisol suppresses neutrophil function, and this can be overcome by coincubation with DHEA sulfate."[2]

Stress reduction

References

  1. Medical Subject Headings, National Library of Medicine
  2. Phillips AC. Burns VE. Lord JM. (2007 January), "Stress and exercise: Getting the balance right for aging immunity.", Exercise & Sport Sciences Reviews 35 (1): 35-9