role of stress in illness

• immunosuppression - stress can cause illness by preventing immune system from working efficiently and carrying out its usual task of identifying and destroying invading germs and other foreign bodies (pathogens)
• immunosuppression - stress can suppress the immune system directly, cortisol produced by the hypothalamic-pituitry- adrenal stress response inhibits production of lymphocytes
• the continuous release of cortisol for the HPA system results in immunosuppression directly or indirectly through affecting other life factors which increase the risk of falling ill
• cardiovascular disorder - any disorder of thee heart (cardio) or blood vessels (vascular) including events that affect thee brain (e.g stroke)
• cardiovascular disorder (CVDS ): acute stress - leads to the adrenaline which affects thee heart muscles directly (e.g increasing heart rate). Repeated high levels of adrenaline can have long-term effects.
• acute stress research - sudden emotional arousal good example, looked at incidents of heart attacks in German football supporters during matches played at the 1996 World Cup,

  findings - Germany played hart attack increased by 2.66 times. double your risk of having a cardiovascular event
• research for immunosuppression
• negative of acute stressors - have a less detrimental effect on health compared to chronic stressors

  exposing rats to acute stressor benefited immune functioning through an increase in concentration off T lymphocytes in the blood of these rats.

  moderate exposure to acute stressor may even be beneftial
• strength - appears to be a role in streets in the progression of seemingly unrelated diseases such as HIV, through immunosuppressive effects
• negative - practical and theoretical issues with use of majority of stress research. Research is based on non-human animals exposed to stressors such as electric shocks or food deprivation which are not same stressors humans would face. lacks mundane realism and findings may lack ecological validity