HLTH 208 – Exam 1 Detailed Study Guide

Stress

The body’s physical and psychological response to demands or challenges.

Stressor

Anything that triggers a stress response.

Eustress

Positive stress that motivates and improves performance.

Distress

Negative stress that harms health or performance.

Yerkes Dodson Law

Explains the relationship between stress (arousal) and performance, characterized by an inverted U-shaped curve.

Acute Stress

Short-term stress that happens in response to immediate events.

Episodic Acute Stress

Frequent episodes of acute stress, common in overcommitted individuals.

Chronic Stress

Long-term stress that can lead to major health problems.

Homeostasis

The body's ability to maintain stable internal conditions despite external changes.

Fight or Flight Response

The body's automatic reaction to perceived danger.

Cortisol

A major stress hormone that increases glucose for energy and suppresses nonessential systems.

Adrenaline (Epinephrine)

Hormone that increases heart rate, blood pressure, and boosts energy during stress.

Norepinephrine

Hormone that increases alertness and attention.

Hans Selye - General Adaptation Syndrome

Describes the body’s three-stage response to stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Direct Effects of Stress

When stress hormones damage the body directly, leading to increased blood pressure and inflammation.

Indirect Effects of Stress

When stress leads to unhealthy behaviors, increasing disease risk.

Allostatic Load

Wear and tear on the body caused by chronic stress.

Psychosomatic Illness

A physical disease influenced by psychological factors.

Psychoneuroimmunology

The study of interaction between the mind, nervous system, and immune system.

Karoshi

Japanese term meaning death from overwork, often due to extreme work stress.

Placebo Effect

Improvement after receiving a treatment with no active ingredient because the person believes it will work.

Nocebo Effect

Negative expectations that cause worse symptoms despite having no harmful treatment.

Physiological Changes due to Stress

Increased heart rate, hormone release, and increased alertness.

Examples of Eustress

Excitement before a game, preparing for a big opportunity, starting a new job.

Examples of Distress

Chronic financial stress, relationship conflict, overwhelming workloads.

Types of Stressors

Physical, psychological, environmental, and social stressors.

Effects of Chronic Stress

Can lead to headaches, anxiety, depression, weakened immunity.

Short-term Stress

Can help survival and performance.

Long-term Stress

Can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and sleep disorders.

Methods of Assessing Stress

Self report measures, physiological measures, and behavioral observation.

Normal Heart Rate

Resting heart rate for adults is 60–100 beats per minute.

Normal Respiration Rate

Normal adult breathing rate is 12–20 breaths per minute.

Walter Cannon

Physiologist who introduced the concept of the fight or flight response.

Yerkes Dodson Principle

Performance increases with arousal up to an optimal point, after which it decreases.

Dimensions of Health

Physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health.

Stress and Performance

Too much stress decreases performance and can lead to anxiety.

Stress and Immune System

Chronic stress weakens immune responses, increasing illness risk.

Stress Hormones Effects

Chronic elevation of stress hormones can be harmful to health.

Stress and Memory

High cortisol levels can damage the hippocampus, affecting memory formation.

Stress and Aging

Stress accelerates cellular aging by shortening telomeres.