Homeostasis and Stress

Roots
Walter Cannon and Hans Selye
Homeostasis
Types of stress
Eustress and Distress
Signs and Symptoms
Brain and Endocrine Centers and Functions
HPA and SAM systems
What can we do about it?
 Roots

Walter Cannon
(1847-1945)
Harvard Physiologist
Traumatic shock
Hans Seyle
(1907-1982)
Endocrinologist and
Researcher
General Adaptation
Syndrome
 HOMEOSTASIS (8-12)
• BODY’S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN
RELATIVELY STABLE INTERNAL
CONDITIONS DESPITE CHANGES IN THE
EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

● ‘DYNAMIC’ STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM

● Blood sugar levels, H2O concentration,
Temperature, Blood Clotting, Childbirth and more
 HOMEOSTATIC MAINTENANCE
• VARIABLE
– THAT WHICH IS BEING
REGULATED
• RECEPTOR
– SENSES CHANGE IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
• CONTROL CENTER
– DETERMINES SET POINT
– ANALYZES INPUT FROM
RECEPTOR
– MAKES ‘DECISION’
• EFFECTOR
– CARRIES OUT EFFECT (AS
DIRECTED BY CONTROL
CENTER)
 Two Types of Feedback
● Named for the effect they have on the change in the
variable
● If change in variable decreases
– Negative Feedback
● If change in variable increases
– Positive feedback
 NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
• MOST COMMON

● BEGINS WHEN VARIABLE LEAVES IT’S

HOMEOSTATIC RANGE; ENDS WHEN VARIABLE
RETURN’S TO NORMAL RANGE

• SELF-TERMINATING

● Ex. BLOOD SUGAR; TEMPERATURE; BLOOD

PRESSURE; (HOME THERMOSTAT)
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP
 POSITIVE FEEDBACK
• INFREQUENT

• OUTPUT ENHANCES THE STIMULUS

● USED IN PROCESSES THAT MUST BE COMPLETED QUICKLY

● Ex. CHILDBIRTH; BLOOD CLOTTING

 HOMEOSTATIC IMBALANCE
● DISTURBANCE OF THE BODY’S NORMAL
EQUILIBRIUM

• DIS-EASE

● AGING (CONTROL SYSTEMS BECOME LESS

EFFICIENT)
 Stress
● Definition
● Types
● Cultural impact
● Sympoms
● Nervous and endocrine systems
– Cortisol, SAM and HPA
● GAS
● Relaxation Response
 Definitions
● Stress (Hans Seyle)
– consequences of the failure of a human or animal to
respond appropriately to emotional or physical
threats to the organism, whether actual or
imagined.
– the autonomic response to environmental stimulus
– the perceptions and responses of humans trying to
adapt to the challenges of everyday life
● Stressor
– the perceived threat
 Types of Stress
Eustress
Pleasant or curative
stress.
gives us our
competitive edge in
performance related
activities
athletics, giving a
speech, or acting
 Types of Stress

Eustress

Emotional arousal
Supports Learning
Resolves
'Zone' of optimum
performance
 Types of Stress

Distress
Acute
Episodic Acute
Chronic
 Acute Stress
Comes immediately
with a change of
routine.
Intense and passes
quickly.
the body's way of
getting a person to
stand up and take
inventory of what is AKA: Fight or Flight
going on, to make Response
sure that everything
is OK
 Episodic Acute
acute stress seems to
run rampant and be
a way of life
creating a life of
relative chaos
the type of stress that
coined the terms
‘drama queen'
 Chronic Stress
constant change of
routine for week
after week.
affects the body for
a long period of
time.
Experienced by
someone who
constantly faces
moves or job
changes.
 Cultural impact of stress
● 75-90% of visits to family physicians are for
stress-related problems.
● The World Health Organization identified job-
related stress as a worldwide epidemic.
– 80% of workers felt stressed on the job
– 50% said they needed help in managing their
stress; and
– 42% said their coworkers needed help
– 62% find that they end the day with work-
related neck pain.
 Cultural impact of stress

● The National Safety Council estimates that 1

million American employees are absent every
day from work because of stress-related
problems.
● 65% of North Americans take prescription
medications daily, 43% take mood altering
prescriptions regularly.
● Alcohol is commonly used to cope with
anxiety. 72% of Canadians consume alcohol
each year.
Physical Stress Symptoms
Headache
Back pain
Chest pain
Heart disease
Heart palpitations
High blood pressure
Decreased immunity
Stomach upset
Sleep problems
Psychological Stress Symptoms
Anxiety
Restlessness
Worrying
Irritability
Depression
Sadness
Anger
Feeling insecure
Lack of focus
Burnout
Forgetfulness
Behavioral Stress Symptoms
Overeating
Undereating
Angry outbursts
Drug or alcohol
abuse
Increased
smoking
Social
withdrawal
Crying spells
Relationship
conflicts
The Central Nervous System
Endocrine Structures
 Cortisol “The Stress Hormone”
● Proper glucose ● A quick burst of energy
metabolism for survival reasons
● Regulation of blood ● Heightened memory
pressure functions
● Insulin release for ● A burst of increased
blood sugar immunity
maintanence ● Lower sensitivity to pain
● Immune function ● Helps maintain
● Inflammatory homeostasis in the body
response
 Sympathetic Adrenal Medullary
(SAM) System

Produces the immediate shock response:

The stressor acts on the hypothalamus, which
activates the adrenal medulla and the
sympathetic branch of the ANS.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline are released.
The “fight or flight” response is produced,
preparing the body for sudden physical action.
Increases:
Energy SAM System
Alertness
Blood flow to muscles
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Respiration rate
Clotting factors in the blood
Decreases
Activity in the digestive and immune systems
 HPA System (Neuroendocrine)
Hypothalamus-
Pituitary-
Adrenal
Hypothalamus
activates the
anterior pituitary.
Pituitary signals
Adrenal cortex to
release hormones
including cortisol.
 Long term effects of cortisol
● Impaired cognitive performance
● Suppressed thyroid function
● Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
● Decreased bone density
● Decrease in muscle tissue
● Higher blood pressure
● Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the
body, slowed wound healing, and other health
consequences
● Increased abdominal fat, associated with heart attacks,
strokes, the development of , higher levels of LDL and
lower HDL
General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm Resistance Exhaustion

 General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm (Strong SAM and some HPA activation)

When we are surprised or threatened, we have an
immediate physical reaction, often called the
Fight-or-Flight reaction.
Prepares the body for life-threatening situations,
channeling away resources from such as the
digestive and immune system to more immediate
muscular and emotional needs.
Leads to the immune system being depressed,
making us susceptible to disease.
 General Adaptation Syndrome

Resistance (Less SAM, more HPA)

As we become used to the stress levels, we initially
become more resistance to disease, which leads
us to believe we can easily adapt to these more
stressful situations.
This is only the immune system fighting to keep up
with demands and expectations
Requires it to work at abnormally high levels,
causing a depletion of resources.
 General Adaptation Syndrome

Exhaustion (HPA)
Eventually reality kicks in and our bodies give up on
trying to maintain a high level of stress.
Parts of the body literally start to break down and we
become very unwell. Adrenal and immune system
exhaustion
If we continue to fight this situation, we may even
die.
A FEW STRESS RELATED DISEASES
1. Acid Peptic Disease
2. Alcoholism
3. Asthma
4. Fatigue
5. Tension Headache
6. Hypertension
7. Insomnia
8. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
9. Ischemic Heart Disease
10. Psychoneuroses
11. Sexual Dysfunction
12. Skin diseases like Psoriasis,Lichen
planus,Urticaria,Pruritus,Neurodermatitis etc
 What can we do?
Produce Relaxation Response
1. Focus on a word or phrase that
has a positive meaning to you. Physical
Such words as "one," "love" and activity
"peace" work well. Relaxation
2. When you find your mind has techniques
wandered or you notice any Meditation
intrusive thoughts entering your
mind, simply disregard them and Yoga
return your focus to the word or Tai chi
phrase you chose. Massage
 Relaxation Response
The relaxation response is a physical state of
deep rest that changes the physical and
emotional responses to stress... and the
opposite of the fight or flight response.
Your metabolism decreases
Your heart beats slower and your muscles relax
Your breathing becomes slower
Your blood pressure decreases
Your levels of nitric oxide are increased
 Stress Busters
● Autogenic training ● Nootropics
● Cognitive therapy ● Relaxation
● Conflict resolution techniques
● Exercise ● Artistic Expression
● Hobbies ● Spas
● Meditation ● Stress balls
● Deep breathing ● Natural medicine
● Yoga ● Massage