Highlights
Stress affects most individuals in our modern society to some degree. Recent studies on stress have focused on several issues, including the causes of stress and why some people are more vulnerable, the body’s response to stress, and the effectiveness of different stress reduction techniques.
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Acute Stress
Acute stress leads to rapid changes throughout the body that affect the brain, heart, lungs, immune system, skin, and metabolism. These changes can result in immediate effects that could prove beneficial in a critical, life-or-death situation. Over time, however, repeated stressful situations put a strain on the body that may contribute to both physical and psychological problems.
Cortisol and Stress
During an acute stress response, levels of a hormone called cortisol are increased. Cortisol is therefore called a “stress hormone”, and is thought to be involved in many effects of stress. Researchers can measure cortisol levels to determine people’s physical reactions to stress and to quantitatively measure the effectiveness of stress reduction techniques. In one such study, individuals who received training in cognitive-behavior techniques and were later exposed to a stressful situation had dampened cortisol responses as a result of the training. Other studies have found that massage therapy can decrease cortisol levels in a variety of individuals. Apparently, the massage need not come from an expert: women receiving instructed shoulder-neck massages from their partners immediately before a stressful situation had dampened cortisol increases after the stressor.
Stress can affect everyone
Overall, stress continues to affect many people, from children to older adults. Chronic stress can have real health consequences, and should be addressed like any other health concern. Fortunately, research is showing that lifestyle changes and stress reduction techniques can be beneficial for learning to effectively manage stress.
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