Here’s what to know.
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How does stress affect the immune system? |
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When you feel stressed, your body makes several changes to help you survive and overcome perceived threats. This can look like elevating your heart rate and breathing, and slowing your digestion. Your body also has an immune response during your stress reaction, or “stress cascade.”
This reaction can contribute to a variety of short and long-term health effects, and ultimately depends on the type of stressor and the length of your exposure.
When stress first occurs, your body initiates the acute stress phase, sometimes called the “alarm” phase. At this stage, specialized immune cells are transported through the bloodstream into areas of the body most likely to encounter bacteria, viruses, and fungi, such as the skin. This helps boost immunity so the body can respond to an immediate immune threat.
When stress persists too long, it becomes prolonged or chronic, and your immune function can start to decline.
Over time, your body has to find ways to counteract the persistent inflammatory processes caused by chronic stress. It starts releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, which are intended to cancel the stress reaction once a perceived threat is no longer present.
When the stressors don’t go away, your body can become caught in a cycle of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes, which can contribute to what’s known as “sickness behavior,” a group of symptoms including fatigue and cognitive impairment.
When it comes to your immune system, specifically, symptoms of stress can include:
- increased rate of infections
- delayed wound healing
- frequent colds or cold-like illnesses
- chronic inflammatory conditions
- new or worsening autoimmune conditions
- new or worsening allergies
While there’s certainly a link between stress and immune health, there are many different ways to manage your health in the moment and in the long term. Keep reading to learn how to cope and better protect your well-being. |
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