A number of factors impact on the function of the immune system – stress being one of them, and this effect has so interested science so much that a whole field of research has grown around it, known as psychoneuroimmunology.
Stress is a part of everyday life, in fact, it is a important part of everyday life! A stressor is defined as ‘any change that requires us to adapt’, meaning stress can be both positive and negative. The outcome is often determined by how we respond to these experiences. However, in general it is when we are subjected to a continual stream of stressful experiences that it becomes harmful to both the mind and the body. The negative effects of stress manifest in a myriad of ways, and these effects vary for different people depending on their individual sensitivities. Common symptoms include feeling overwhelmed and an inability to cope with responsibilities, muscle tension, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability, substance abuse, poor memory and concentration, fatigue, lowered libido, lowered immunity and digestive imbalances. A number of these symptoms are the result of physical changes that occur in the body with the stress response.
The relationship between the stress response, the nervous system, and the immune system is an extremely complex one. This article merely offers an introduction to how stress may impact on our immune system. The most important thing to remember is that our body systems do not function in isolation, but are part of an inter-related whole.