Stress is considered as something normal, an experience that is inevitable in our daily lives. Similar to any other college student, I have been experiencing stress throughout the past few months, both eustress and distress. I often experience eustress whenever I have to meet several deadlines at school, and distress whenever I get anxious about things I cannot control. After studying about the endocrine system, I realized that stress is caused whenever the body is disturbed by stressors, which are stimuli that produce a stress response. These stressors usually make me experience adrenaline rush, cause headaches, increase my heartbeat rate, make my breathing faster, and tense up my muscles. Whether it is from school works, personal problems, or daily struggles, stress is what frequently causes my irritability and tiredness during most situations.
Whenever we are in stressful situations, the endocrine system prompts a sequence of bodily changes called the stress response. As stated in the previous lesson, nerve impulses from the hypothalamus activate our fight-or-flight response whenever we are experiencing physical or emotional stress, making the body highly alert and responsive. During this stage, the adrenal medullae secretes hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine. If the stress is not yet relieved, the body is signaled to adapt by going through the stage of resistance, wherein the adrenal glands release cortisol, a primary stress hormone. In this stage, the body tries to continue combating the stressor and if successful, the body’s condition is returned to normal. However, if the stressor persists, the body eventually goes into a state of exhaustion because of the overconsumption and depletion of the body's resources.
Reference:
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. H. (2011). Principles of Anatomy & Physiology (13th ed.). Wiley.