A stressor is any stimulus that causes a stress reaction. A stressor can be nearly any bodily disruption, including extremes of heat or cold, environmental toxins, bacteria-produced toxins, significant bleeding following surgery or an injury, or an intense emotional response. It's possible for people to have happy or unpleasant reactions to stressors, and these reactions can change over time and even within the same person.
Although the precise role of stress in human illnesses is unknown, it is certain that stress can cause specific diseases by momentarily blocking some immune system components. Gastritis, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, hypertension, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), migraine headaches, anxiety, and depression are among the ailments linked to stress. People who are under stress have a higher chance of having chronic illnesses or passing away too soon.
As for my case, the usual clinical manifestations I have are headaches, fatigue, blurred vision, and psoriasis flares. The first three I have mentioned are somehow common and can be manifested by almost everyone, whereas for psoriasis flares, I have not known anyone who exhibits such reactions to stress by far. According to Tortora and Derrickson’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, the hypothalamus is primarily in charge of controlling these alterations, often known as the stress response or general adaptation syndrome (GAS). The stress response then manifests in three stages:
Flight-or-Fight Response wherein the initial symptoms occur as wherein our heart rate increases, our adrenal gland releases cortisol, and we receive a boost of adrenaline, which increases energy.
Resistance Reaction is where the body begins to repair itself by releasing hormones for a longer-lasting response than the first stage.
Exhaustion is the result of the prolonged stress wherein your body can no longer fight the stress. Thus resulting in the mentioned physical, emotional, and mental clinical manifestations such as headache, anxiety, and the feeling of hopelessness.
Moreover, with my personal experience on having psoriasis, I have read some articles that although prolactin and the sex hormones are most closely associated with the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of psoriasis, there are numerous other hormonal mechanisms that have a significant impact on the development of psoriasis such as thyroid hormones and insulin, necessitating the investigation of novel therapeutic approaches.
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American Psychological Association. (2018, November 1.). Stress effects on the body. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
Higuera, V. (2018, October 6). General adaptation syndrome: Your body's response to stress. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/general-adaptation-syndrome#stages
Roman, I. I., Constantin, A.-M., Marina, M. E., & Orasan, R. I. (2016). The role of hormones in the pathogenesis of psoriasis vulgaris. Clujul medical (1957). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4777452/
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. (2012). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (13th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.