Module 39: Stress and Illness

When alerted to a negative, uncontrollable event, our _____ nervous system arouses us. Heart rate and respiration _____. Blood is diverted from digestion to the skeletal _____. The body releases sugar and fat. All this prepares the body for the _____-______-_______ response.

sympathetic; increase; muscles; fight-or-flight

The field of _____ studies mind-body interactions, including the effects of psychological, neural, and endocrine functioning on the immune system and overall health.

psychoneuroimmunology

What general effect does stress have on our health?

Stress tends to reduce our immune system’s ability to function properly, so that higher stress generally leads to greater risk of physical illness.

Which component of the Type A personality has been linked most closely to coronary heart disease?

Feeling angry and negative much of the time.

The number of short-term illnesses and stress-related psychological disorders was higher than usual in the months following an earthquake. Such findings suggest that

a. daily hassles have adverse health consequences

b. experiencing a very stressful event increases a person’s vulnerability to illness

c. the amount of stress a person feels is directly related to the number of stressors experienced.

d. daily hassles don’t cause stress, but catastrophes can be toxic

b. experiencing a very stressful event increases a person’s vulnerability to illness

Which of the following is NOT one of the three main types of stressors?

a. catastrophes

b. significant life changes

c. daily hassles

d. pessimism

d. pessimism

Selye’s general adaptation syndrome (GAS) consists of an alarm reaction followed by _____, then _______

resistance; exhausion

When faced with stress, women are more likely than men to show a _______-and -_______ response.

tend; befriend

Stress can suppress the _____ ______ by prompting a decreasing in the release of cells that ordinarily attack bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and other foreign substances.

immune system

A Chinese proverb warns, “The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns you more than him.” How is this true of Type A people?

Type A people frequently experience negative emotions (anger, impatience), during which the sympathetic nervous system diverts blood away from the liver. This leaves fat and cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream for deposit near the heart and other organs, increasing the risk of heart disease and other health problems. Thus, Type A people actually harm themselves by directing anger at others