Question

a. Describe what stress is and how it affects your body. Address physiological fight-or-flight responses and how those responses relate to your cardiorespiratory and muscular systems.

Answer 1

Your body:

Stress is not an illness itself, but if it isn't under control it can cause serious illnesses, such as heart disease, asthma, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. Spotting the early signs of stress, like sweating, loss of appetite, headaches and loss of concentration will help prevent it getting worse.

Your mind:

If you are stressed you may feel worried, anxious, irritable or have low self-esteem. You may also notice that you lose your temper more easily, drink more or act unreasonably.

Stress and sleep:

Your mood and how well you sleep affect each other. Feeling stressed can mean you don't sleep well enough, and if you don't sleep well enough this may make you feel more stressed.

Answer 2

Stress is a natural response of the body to atypical situation/ stressful environmental stimuli. The stress hormone such as cortisol and adrenaline is significant in ‘fight or flight response’ and works to the benefit of the body in short periods by reving up your body. However, perpetual stress can be detrimental to the body's health and cause symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

In the ‘fight or flight’ mode during an emergency, the response of the cardiovascular system to the stress hormones is to increase blood flow by increased heart rate and constricted vessels. The respiratory system response is by increasing breathing rate and depth of the breaths.