The concept of stress and immunity in this week’s lesson on the Lymphatic System circulates around on how one’s feelings, thoughts and emotions influence their health. This reality is further discussed in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) as there is an apparent connection towards the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. There is no doubt that stress affects our health, and if they are not addressed immediately it could impose serious health issues like having a compromised immunity. Stress produces the hormone cortisol, and prolonged episodes of this ultimately inhibits the immune system activity. Furthermore, stress does indeed have its state of being a “good drive” for productivity (eustress), but in times of distress health habits could change and some even result in unhealthy coping mechanisms. Upon entering college, I realized how high the demand for the academic workload is. I know I could not just give out the bare minimum, hence I constantly lack sleep and have a disrupted appetite. The stress I experienced also made me more susceptible to colds (as chronic stress decreases the production of WBC), headaches, and my concentration levels decreased. As I began to observe these changes, I now realized that I need to focus on improving my stress coping skills and prioritize having a good sleep schedule in order to not compromise my academic performance. Overall, I learned that I should not take my immune system for granted, as it easily manifests in my health and how I function for the entire day. Stress is intangible as it may seem, but it is powerful to even initiate certain diseases if not managed properly as it affects one’s immunity, the backbone of one’s overall health.
Activity 2
UBANDO, Aiah Ezra M.
The due date for posting to this forum was Thursday, 23 November 2023, 11:59 PM.