Download 06-Understanding Stress and Disease

Understanding Stress and
Disease
How stress influences
physical disease
• Immune system protects body
against stress-related diseases
The immune system
• Protects body against invasion of
foreign material
– Viruses
– Bacteria
– Foreign tissue (e.g. heart transplant)
• Removes damaged cells
Immune system disorders
• Immune deficiency
– AIDS
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
– Caused by the HIV virus
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• Destroys the T-cells in the immune system
• HIV destroys immune system - AIDS
- vulnerable to bacterial, viral, and
other diseases
Transplant rejection
• Immune system tries to fight the
foreign tissue
• Drugs given to reduce effects of
immune system
Factors decreasing the
immune system
• Stress
• Relationship conflict
• Care giving - e.g. Alzheimer’s
disease
How stress can act to
create diseases
• Under stress, people
–
–
–
–
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Smoke more
Drink more
Use illicit drugs
Eat unhealthy foods
Get less sleep
• These actions increase risk for various
diseases
• The higher the person’s stress, the more
likely they will become ill.
Common cold
• Exposure to virus + stress = cold
Cardiovascular disease &
heart attack
• Stress can increase the risk, and
trigger heart attack in people with
heart disease
• Depression, anger, & tension can all
increase the risk of heart attack
Psychoneuroimmunology
• Focus of interactions among
–
–
–
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Behavior
Nervous system
Endocrine system
Immune system
Psychoneuroimmunology
• Behavior effects immune system
• Immune system affects health
Stress & psychological
disorders
• Depression
– Increased with negative outlook and
ruminating over problems
• Anxiety disorders
– PTSD
• Intrusive memories
• Recurrent dreams
• Psychological and Physiological distress
– Most people experiencing traumatic
events do not develop PTSD
Stress & psychological
disorders
• No strong relationship between
stressful experiences and
psychological disorders
• While stress may increase the risk
for physical and mental problems,
most people under stress do not
develop a disease, and remain
healthy