Why Stress Weakens Your Immune System (And Why You Get Sick So Often

Why Stress Weakens Your Immune System

Stress happens to everyone; it occurs due to many components including work duties, school expectations, financial problems, person relationships or just daily lives. Short term stress actually can sometimes be beneficial for your body as it can allow your body to respond quickly to any challenge; however, if stress is chronic it may create negative effects on your health, primarily to your immune system.

Have you ever noticed, when you are under extreme amounts of stress, that you tend to get sick? You may find that while under stress, you catch colds; flu-like symptoms; headaches; and other body fatigue. There are a number of studies to support the connection between stress and the immune system.

The longer someone has stress, the more their natural defenses cease to function properly, thereby increasing their ability to become ill due to an inability to fight off infections, virus, and bacterium. People who are under prolonged stress are more likely to become ill.

This guide will provide a more in-depth understanding of how long-term stress affects the immune system, how stress-related illness continues over time, and what you can do to protect your immunity.

The immune system is what keeps us healthy. It is made up of specialized cells, tissues and organs that help protect against harmful invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins.

The immune systems key parts include:

• white blood cells
• lymph nodes
• bone marrow
• the spleen
• antibodies
• the lymphatic system

These parts function together to identify and eliminate harmful germs from the body before they can lead to illness. When healthy, the immune response can quickly identify and deal with dangers; but when an immune system is unhealthy, an individual has a higher chance of developing infections.

Chronic stress is one example of a primary factor that can contribute to an unhealthy immune system.

What Stress Does To Your Body

In order to comprehend how chronic stress will affect immunity we first need to understand what occurs in the body when there is stress.

When a person perceives some type of stressor or threat their brain activates the stress response system in their body. This system results in the production of hormones associated with stress including;

• Cortisol
• Adrenaline
• Norepinephrine

These hormones get the body ready for the fight or flight response and allow for a quick reaction towards dangerous situations.

During this response many of the changes to the body include but are not limited to:

• Increased heart rate.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Increased production of energy.
• Decreased production of digestive enzymes.
• Temporary changes in immune activity.

In the short term these changes assist the body to cope with stress methods; Conversely, if stress is prolonged, the continual exposure to the hormones produced during the stress response can create major disruptions within a variety of other systems in the body.

What Cortisol Has to Do with Your Immune System

Cortisol is one of the most important hormones involved with stress.

This hormone plays a vital part in regulating many bodily functions such as metabolism, inflammation and immune response.

During periods of temporary (or acute) stress, cortisol will actually assist the body to regulate inflammation and prevent there from being too much activation of the immune system. However, if the levels of cortisol remain elevated for prolonged periods of time, the ability of the immune system to function is decreased, meaning that the function of the immune system.

High levels of cortisol will do the following:

• Decrease the amount of white blood cells
• Delays the immune response
• Decreases antibody production
• Increasing the level of inflammation

Ultimately, it will make it more difficult for your body to fight off infections.

This is one of the primary reasons that individuals who are under chronic stress tend to get sick more often.

How Chronic Stress Negatively Impacts Your Immune System

Chronic stress occurs when your body is continuously elevated in a state of stress for weeks, months and years.

While an acute stressor will go away once the stressor or situation resolves; chronic stress will continue to keep your body stressed which means the immune system continues to be active well beyond the initial stressor.

As a result, there are several adverse effects on the immune system due to chronic stress.

1. Chronic stress will lower the level of immune cells circulating within your body. These cells are responsible for identifying and destroying pathogens that are harmful.
2. Stress decreases the body's ability to produce antibodies (proteins that fight against infection).
3. Stress causes chronic inflammation, and chronic inflammation can destroy normal tissue and lower the immune response.

Taken together, all of the above result in the body being a host for subsequent illness.

Why is Stress Making You More Sick Than Normal?

If you experience more illnesses during times of stress, you are definitely not alone. However, there are multiple reasons why stress creates these conditions.

Decreased Immune Function

Your body is not able to mount an effective immune response to a viral or bacterial infection when your immune system is suppressed by the effects of stress hormones. Thus, stress allows a virus or bacteria to replicate and create an infection, rather than your body stopping the replication at some point.

Increased Inflammation

Stress in a chronic situation has been shown to create persistent levels of inflammation in your body. While inflammation is good for you in terms of protecting your body when it is attacked, excessive long-term inflammation will ultimately decrease the immune system's effectiveness.

Adverse Lifestyle Habits

Stress creates habits that negatively affects the immune system. These are:

• Lack of quality and/or quantity of sleep
• Unhealthy food choices
• Decreased amounts of exercise
• Increased amounts of alcohol and caffeine

Lack of these good lifestyle habits creates a situation where the body has an even harder time fighting viruses and bacteria.

Due to the immune system being compromised from stress, a large number of illnesses can develop when the immune system is stressed due to stress.

Below are some of the illnesses that stress is commonly linked to:

• Frequent colds
• Flus
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Fatigue

Existing health problems can worsen due to stress. People with asthma, autoimmune diseases, and allergies may experience an increased severity of symptoms when stress levels rise. 

Inflammation as a Factor of Stress 

Inflammation plays a vital role in the immune system's response to disease and injury. Still, because chronic stress influences the immune response, the balance between inflammation and immunity gets off balance. 

Research shows that continuous long-term stress can lead to ongoing low-grade chronic inflammation throughout the body. 

Chronic low-grade inflammation has been correlated to multiple health issues, including: 

1. Heart disease 
2. Diabetes 
3. Arthritis 
4. Depression 

Additionally, chronic low-grade inflammation can affect the immune system's ability to effectively fight off germ infections. 

The Gut-Microbiome-Are Stress and the Immune System Related?

Strong gut health is also significant when discussing immune health, particularly with respect to the number of benefit-producing bacteria that exists within our digestive tract (the gut microbiome). 

The bacteria within the gut contribute significantly to our overall immune system function; however, when under stress, the bacteria that inhabit the gut can get disrupted, leading to gastrointestinal discomfort and weakened immunity.

A good example of this occurs frequently when individuals have one or more of the following gastrointestinal symptom when placed under undue stress: 

1. Stomach Pains
2. Bloating
3. Change in Appetite 
4. Gastrointestinal Discomfort 

The gut must maintain a healthy function to help support the immune system.

How Stress Affects Your Sleep and Immunity 

Sleep has a huge impact on how strong and healthy your immune system is.

When we sleep, our bodies produce a chemical called a cytokine that helps fight off infections and inflammation. However, when we are stressed, our cortisol levels rise which interfere(s) with our natural rhythms of sleep. 

Having chronic stress can create additional disruptions to how we sleep; therefore, those of us that suffer from chronic stress often experience:

• insomnia
• poor sleep
• trouble falling asleep
• insufficient sleep

Insufficient sleep decreases the number of cells that your body can create to fight off infections, which means you are more susceptible to getting sick.

Psychological Stress and Health

Stress doesn't just affect your physical health; it can have an adverse effect on mental health as well. Psychological stress can create an emotional response in you (i.e. feelings of):

• anxiety
• irritability
• fatigue
• difficulty concentrating

The subsequent emotional response to psychological stress can create an imbalance between stress hormones and the body's ability to heal, which creates further susceptibility to illness.

There is a strong connection between mental health and the health of your immune system; therefore, controlling your emotional stress is an important component of achieving a healthy state of being.

Who is More at Risk for Illness Related to Stress?

Some people may be at greater risk of experiencing immune system issues associated with stress than others. 

The following populations may have the highest level of stress-related immune dysfunction:

• students preparing for exams
• individuals with high-pressure jobs
• caregivers to other individuals
• those struggling with financial stress
• those experiencing transitions in their lives 

For those who experience chronic stress, establishing better coping skills can help lessen their level of stress and subsequently reduce their risk for developing an illness.

How to Strengthen Your Immune System and Reduce Stress Naturally

Fortunately, there are many options available for reducing stress and enhancing your immune system’s functioning.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise reduces stress hormones, increases endorphins, enhances your mood, and promotes relaxation. Regular exercise can help improve your immune system and overall health as well.

Sleep Better

Your immune system needs good quality sleep to work properly. Experts recommend that adults need 7–9 hours of sleep each night. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine will help you get better quality sleep.

Eat Well

Eating a healthy diet provides you with the nutrients needed to support your immune system. Foods that support your immune system include:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Lean proteins
• Nuts and seeds

These foods will give you the vitamins and antioxidants necessary to protect your body from disease.

Use Relaxation Techniques To Manage Stress Levels

Using relaxation techniques will help calm your nervous system while reducing your level of stress hormones. Relaxation techniques include:

• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Yoga
• Mindfulness

Relaxing even for a few minutes every day can significantly affect your stress hormone levels.

Keep In Touch With Family & Friends

Being around supportive people can help you reduce your stress levels and improve your emotional well-being. Being involved in positive interactions will trigger your body to release oxytocin, which is the hormone associated with feelings of trust and bonding.

Conclusion.

While there will always be stress in our lives, prolonged or recurrent stress can cause significant health problems. Studies demonstrate that the connection between stress and the immune system illustrates the relationship between mind and body.

Continuously elevated levels of stress-related hormones suppress the immune response and increase inflammation in the body, thus allowing the body to be more susceptible to infections. Many people catch colds and get sick more frequently when stressed for prolonged periods of time.

Becoming aware of how stress negatively impacts the immune system and taking the steps needed to create and maintain a healthy body and mind (i.e., physical activity, healthy diet, management of stressful situations) will allow for the development of an integrated system that protects both the physical and mental individual from the effects of stress.

Taking action to alleviate stress today can positively impact your immune system and improve your wellness for years to come.

According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress can suppress immune function and increase the risk of illness.