What is the Origin of Stress-Induced Changes?

This concept is foundational to the field of stress physiology, famously articulated by Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, which described the body's non-specific response to stressors. Modern endocrinology has since refined the understanding to include the molecular and hormonal details of the body's precise stress response cascade. It is a universal principle of human health and adaptation.

What is the Mechanism of Stress-Induced Changes?

The primary mechanism involves the rapid release of catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) followed by the sustained secretion of glucocorticoids, predominantly cortisol, from the adrenal glands. Cortisol mobilizes energy stores, suppresses non-essential functions like digestion and reproduction, and modulates immune responses. Chronic stress leads to allostatic overload, causing maladaptive changes like persistent inflammation, insulin resistance, and HPA axis dysregulation.

Stress-Induced Changes ∞ Area

Stress-Induced Changes

Meaning

Stress-Induced Changes are the array of acute and chronic physiological and psychological alterations that occur in response to perceived or actual threats, mediated primarily by the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system. These changes encompass hormonal shifts, immune system modulation, and metabolic redirection, which can become severely detrimental when stress is prolonged and unmitigated. Clinically, managing these changes is vital for preventing systemic pathology.