UNIT 2: Stress Management Flashcards
What is Stress?
The collective physiological and emotional responses to any stimulus that disturbs an individual’s homeostasis
Stress is determined by the balance between perceived demands of the environment and the individual’s resources to meet those demands
What is known as the “Unstressed” State?
homeostasis = a balanced and stable environment
What is a Stressor?
any physical or psychological event/condition that produces stress
Moves away from homeostasis
What is a Stress response?
the physiological changes associated with stress
What makes things stressful?
4
- Novelty
- Unpredictability
- Threat to ego
- Sense of loss of control
What are Top Stressors in the lives of College Students?
- The Future: job after school
- Money/finances (cost of education/loans)
- Academia (grades)
- Too many things to do
- Lack of time for tasks
What are Environmental Stressors?
– Climate, noise, pollution, crowding, time of day
What are Physiological Stressors?
external or internal stimuli that disrupt the body’s homeostasis, triggering a physiological response aimed at restoring balance and adaptation to the stressor
Training, medications, caffeine, injuries, disease, nutritional status
What are Emotional stressors?
2
Major stressors: those that create major turmoil and usually require major adjustment and time implement the changes
Minor stressors: those that are short term and/or less severe
What is Acute Stress?
short-term, single event
flight or flight response
What is Episodic Stress?
series of events (transient)
What is Chronic Stress?
long-term, always present
What are terms for positive and negative stress?
Eustress = stress triggered by a pleasant stressor
Distress = stress triggered by an unpleasant stressor
What are characteristics of Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome? (1936)
Proposed 3 phase to chronic stress:
– Alarm -> prepare for ‘flight / fright’ - Release Hormones
– Resistance -> resistance to stress, improved coping
– Exhaustion -> inability to cope, life-threatning physiological exhaustion
Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome Visual
Hoe does Stress/Emotional Arousal affect performance?
Symptoms of Excess Stress
What Two systems are responsible for physical response to stressors?
the Nervous System and the
Endocrine System
What is the Autonomic nervous system?
What are its two divisons?
- Not under conscious supervision
- Controls heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, digestion, and hundreds of other involuntary function
- Consists of a Sympathetic and Non-Sympathetic Divison
What is the Sympathetic Divison of the Autonomous Nervous System?
Sympathetic division = is activated during times of arousal, including exercise, and when you face an emergency, or experience severe pain, anger, or fear. Sympathetic nerves use the neurotransmitter norepinephrine
What is the Parasympathetic Divison of the Autonomous Nervous System?
Parasympathetic division = moderates the excitatory effect of the sympathetic division. In control when you are relaxed; it aids in digesting food, storing energy, and promoting growth
How are different body parts affected by the activations of either the sympathetic or parasympathetic division?
7
What is Adrenaline?
Origin, Target, Function
(aka epinephrine)
(four)
Hormone + Neurotransmitter
Origin:
Medulla of Adrenal Glands
Function:
- Increase HR
- Increase BP
- Increase Blood Sugar
- Dilates Airways
Target:
heart, blood vessels, airways, and liver
What is Noradrenaline?
Origin, Target, Function
(aka Noraepinephrine)
Hormone + Neurotransmitter
Origin:
Medulla of Adrenal Gland
Function:
Mainly Increase BP by Vasoconstriction
same as adrenaline
Target:
heart, blood vessels, liver, lungs
What is the Endocrine system?
system of glands, tissues, and cells that secrete hormones into the bloodstream; influences metabolism and body processes
What are the Key chemical messengers released during the stress response?
Norepinephrine
Epinephrine
Cortisol
Endorphin
What is Cortisol?
Origin, Target, Function
Origin:
Cortex of Adrenal Gland
Function:
- Increase Blood Sugar
- Supresses Digestion/Reproduction
- Stress Hormone
Target:
liver, muscles, immune system, and adipose tissue
What is Endorphin?
Origin, Target, Function
Origin:
- Pituitary Gland (hormone)
- Hypothalamus (nt, dopamine)
Function:
- Inhibits Pain
- Enhances Mood
Target:
brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system
What are the 2 Axis of the Fight or Flight Response?
SAM: Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary
HPA: Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical
What is the SAM (Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary) Axis?
Short-Term Response to stress
(release of epinephrine and noraepinephrine)
What is the HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical) Axis?
Acute and Long term Response to Stress
(release Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, (CRH) AdrenoCorticoTropin Hormone (ACTH) and Cortisol
RELEASES HORMONES
Fight or Flight Response (EDIT)
What is Glucagon?
Origin, Target & Function
Hormone
Origin:
Pancreas
Target:
Sent to Liver and Skeletal Muscle
Function:
Glycogenolysis: The breakdown of Glycogen to Glucose
What is Insulin?
Hormone
Origin:
Pancreas
Function:
Antagonist to Glucagon
It stores Glucose in the LIver or Skeltal Muscles.
Target:
liver, muscles, and adipose (fat) tissue
What is Renin?
Origin, Target & Function
Enzyme
Origin:
Juxtaglomerular cells in Kidney
Function:
Increases BP by vasoconstriction
Target:
Bloodstream
What is Vasopressin?
Origin, Target & Function
(aka Antidiuretic Hormone)
Hormone
Origin:
Hypothalamus
Function:
- Increases BP by vasoconstriction
- Regulates Water Balance
Target:
kidneys and blood vessels
What is the Pituitary gland?
Pea-sized, underneath hypothalamus ”master gland”; involved in growth (hGH), metabolism (TSH) and reproduction (LH,FSH, prolactin). Targets many tissues: bones, thyroid, adrenal gland, ovaries, testes, breasts, kidneys.
What is the Adrenal gland?
?
What are Catecholamines?
(SAM Axis)
Origin:
Adrenal Gland + CNS
Target:
same as below
Function:
- They include dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine
- Facilitate Fight or Flight
What are Acute Effects of Catecholamines?
fight or flight essentially
- increase heart rate
- increase cardiac force of contraction
- narrows blood vessels
- increase blood pressure
- dilates pupils
- dilates airways
- reduces flow of blood to GI tract
- reduces saliva production
- increases sweat production
Prolonged Catecholamine Exposure can lead to what?
- Hypertension
- Cardiac disease
- Vascular disease
- Pheochromocytoma
What is Pheochromocytoma?
a neuroendocrine tumor of the medulla of the adrenal glands, results in “adrenal burnout”
What occurs when the HPA Axis is Stimulated?
- HPA axis is stimulated (hypothalamus, pituitary, and
adrenal glands) - Leads to increased secretion of Corticotrophin releasing Hormone (CRH), which
- Leads to increased levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which
- Leads to increase production of cortisol
What are the Layers of the Adrenal Glands?
Cortex (Outer Part)
Medulla (Inner Part)
What does the Cortex of the Adrenal Glands Secrete?
secretes cortisol (HPA, glucocorticoid), also mineralcorticoids (aldosterone, salt retention)
What does the Medulla of the Adrenal Glands Secrete?
secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine
(SAM)
What is Aldosterone?
Origin, Target, Function
Hormone
Origin:
Cortex of the Adrenal Gland
Target:
Kidneys
Function:
- Helps in Salt Retention
- electrolye balance
How is Cortisol Produced?
4 steps
- HPA (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal Glands) Axis is Stimulated
- Increased secretion of Corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH)
- Leads to increased levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
- Leads to Increase production of cortisol
