NRS 110- Stress Flashcards
Exam 3
Local Adaptation System (LAS)
Involves only a specific body part (tissue/ organ)- instead of the whole body.
Primarily a homeostatic short term adaptive response.
2 responses: Reflex pain and Inflammatory
Reflex Pain Response
LAS
Response of CNS to pain.
Rapid and automatic protective mechanism to prevent injury.
ex: Step into hot tub/ hot stove.
Inflammatory Response
LAS.
Local response to injury or infection.
Serves to localize and prevent the spread of infection and promote wound healing
(hives, pressure ulcer, swelling, infection)
General Adaptation System
(GAS). Biochemical model of stress- Selye.
Automatic Nervous System response.
3 stages:
Alarm Reaction
Resistance
Exhaustion
Length varies of resistance and exhaustion based on patient’s severity, interventions used.
Alarm Reaction
GAS. Short Term (minutes to hours)
When a person perceives* a stressor and defense mechanism is activated.
Increased Blood Pressure Increased Mental Awareness Tachycardia, Increased Pulse. Increased Energy Levels Increased Oxygen Intake ^ Shock Phase
Fight or Flight (sympathetic) Increased Hormone levels Increased Basal Metabolic Rate Shock Phase Counter Shock: reversal of body changes.
Stage of Resistance
GAS. Body attempts to react* to the stressor.
Vital Signs, Hormones Levels, and Energy production return to normal.
Body manages stress and regains homeostasis OR stress is strong enough to overwhelm body’s ability to depend itself.
Stage of Exhaustion
GAS. When the adaptive mechanisms can’t provide defense.- Exhausted.
The body will REST AND MOBILIZE* its defenses to normal or reach TOTAL EXHAUSTION* and die.
Psychological Homeostasis
When needs are not met, homeostatic measure in form of coping/ defense mechanisms help return person to emotional balance.
*Person Feels:
Love and Belongingness: Withdrawn, Isolated, Blaming Others, Shows Aggressive Behaviors, Overly Dependent on others
Safety and Security Needs: Threatened, Nervous, Ineffective coping, Inattentive.
Self Esteem Needs: Refuse to accept reality. Center of own problem only. Lack of control.
Emotional Response to Stress
Depression
Anger
Anxiety
Most common human response to stress.
Vague uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread.
4 Levels:
MILD: Increased Alertness- (vision/ hearing) Can be positive/negative. Motivates learning and growth. Interferes with sleep- BUT facilitates problem solving.
MODERATE: Narrows a person's perceptual field. Manifested by: Increased Muscle Tension, Increased RR and P Tachycardia Quavering voice/ tremors/ "butterflies"
SEVERE: Very narrow focus on specific details.
Impaired learning/ distracted. Manifested by:
Difficult communicating verbally
Increased Motor Activity
Fearful Facial Expression
HA/ Tachycardia/ Hyperventilation
Panic
Causes a person to loose control and experience dread and terror.
Increased physical activity. Loss of rational though Sweating/ agitation/ trembling Hyperventilating Dyspnea- palpitations Can lead to exhaustion and death.
Coping Mechanisms
Anxiety is managed w/o conscious. Behaviors used to decrease stress.
Crying, laughing, sleeping, cursing Physical activity- exercise Smoking/ Drinking Lack of eye contact- withdrawal Limiting relationships to those with similar values/ interests.
Defense Mechanisms
Unconscious reactions. Protect a person’s self esteem. MILD to MODERATE anxiety.
Compensation Denial Displacement Introjection Projection Rationalization Reaction Formation Regression Repression Sublimation Undoing
Adaptation to Acute and Chronic Illness
- General Tasks: (situational stress)
- Maintain self-esteem and personal relationships.
- Prepare for uncertain future. - Illness Related Tasks:
- Handling pain and disability
- Carrying out the prescribed medical regimen
(losing independence and control)
ex: breast cancer- chronic pain. not coping well.
Effects of Long Term Stress
Threat to physical and emotional health
- Depression
- Associated with alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide, accidents, eating disorders
- Illness- affect ability of immune cells to respond to hormones that regulate inflammation- allows development of disease.
- Risk for disease/ injury
- Negative Effects on: cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, GI*, nervous and reproductive systems
