Physiological Principles
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Body's Response to Stress
The body has developed various ways to respond to stress, be it behavioral,
psychological, or physical. Normally the body develops unique ways to find a balance or react to
the stress, but with time, it may have a pattern of set responses for specific situations. The body
develops these patterns based on memories of past occasions, environment, or muscle memory
McLeod, 2010).
The body has set ways of protecting itself from stress. It reacts to stress by releasing
hormones that keep the brain alert and trigger the body muscles to tense or clench and at times
cause an increase in the pulse rate depending on the situation. These responses are helpful when
they are short-term because they cause stress, which is necessary for one to handle the situation
General stress responses
When the body senses a problem, it evaluates the situation to decide whether it is a
stressful situation. Since it is supposedly going to use moral, physiological patterns to respond to
the situation, the body uses stored memory to decipher this information. The body does so using
the visions, or the things heard in the situations. If the situation is judged as a stressful one, there
are general responses that the body towards it (McLeod, 2010). They include:
-The dilation of the lungs causes an increase in breathing rate
- A decrease in body metabolism (low digestive activity)
- An increase in the heart rate
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- Release of glucose for energy (by the liver)
Effects of stress on the body
The body has set ways to deal short term and long-term stress. In short-term stress, the
body uses the Sympathomedullary pathway to respond; these responses are known as fight or
flight responses. Long-term stress, which includes behavioral, and psychological stresses, are
dealt with by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system (HPA). Normally stress is any situation
that places physical or psychological demands on the body. The prolonging of these stressful
situations can harm the physiological and psychological well-being of a person. They can be a
factor in the cognitive impairment of a person with age, depression, and depression-related
illnesses.
Process achieving balance and reacting to stressors
When the body experiences physical stress, the body releases a hormone known as
cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for various things, including the release of glucose from the liver
the glucose is for provision of energy, and the control of swells when there is an injury. The
immune system is usually inactive during this time. The hypothalamus, which is the organ that
deals with stress in the brain, also triggers the adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla is part of the
autonomic nervous system, which coordinates the peripheral nervous system. It is a control
system in charge of maintaining the body's homeostasis. The balancing of these body processes
is done unconsciously