Link between stress and physical ill health - B1

Question 1

stress and the immune system

Answer 1

• The immune system is the body’s defence mechanism against antigens.
• Stress can prevent the immune system from fighting off antigens effectively because cortisol produced during stress weakens the immune system and make us more susceptible to infections

Question 2

Direct effects of stress to the immune system

Answer 2

• cortisol produced by the HPA system inhibits production of cells that fight antigens.
• High levels of stress also place increased strain on the heart and circulatory system causing heart rate to be elevated and increasing levels of cholesterol.

This increases the chances of heart disease.

Question 3

Indirect effects of stress to the immune system

Answer 3

stress influences our lifestyle behaviours and these habits can increase frequency of illness and lead to poorer health.

Question 4

Short Term effects of stress and physical ill health

Answer 4

The release of adrenaline can boost some of the body systems and cause:

• Headaches
• Upset stomach
• Fatigue.

Question 5

Long Term effects of stress and physical ill health

Answer 5

• Stress hormones like cortisol & adrenaline place strain in circulatory system and elevate heart rate can increase fatty plaques on the artery walls causing high blood pressure.
• This can cause strokes, heart attacks and hypertension.

Question 6

Evaluating the links between stress and physical ill health
Strengths

Answer 6

• Studies support the view that stress suppresses the immune system and causes a range of ill health and this increases the validity of stress as a cause of physical ill health and a range of diseases e.g. Periera et al (2003) studied women with HIV and found those with more stressful life events were more likely to develop lesions/damage tissue of the cervix.

Question 7

Evaluating the links between stress and physical ill health
Limitations

Answer 7

• Some studies have found that acute stressors can boost the immune system rather than suppress it in order to help the body prepare to fight infection (Dharbar et al. 2008) this shows that the relationship between stress, the immune system and physical ill health are complex and not yet fully understood.