Stages and biological role
Emotional stress goes through two main stages:
- Adaptive stage. At the beginning of a conflict, stress plays a positive role. It mobilizes the body's resources so that a person or animal can overcome the problem or avoid it.
- Pathogenic stage. If the conflict lasts a long time, seems hopeless, or is accompanied by acute affects, stress transforms into a continuous form. As a result, the self-regulation mechanisms of functional systems break down, leading to diseases.
Effects on the cardiovascular system
The functions of the cardiovascular system respond to stressors first. At the same time, resistance to such loads is individual: some organisms are predisposed to heart and vascular pathologies, while others are resistant. Interestingly, in individuals resistant to cardiac problems, stress often "hits" other organs, for example, causing a gastric ulcer.
In predisposed individuals, prolonged irritation of negative hypothalamic zones leads to the development of arterial hypertension. First, there is the transitory phase (rivalry between pressor and depressor mechanisms), followed by the stable phase (pressure-increasing mechanisms dominate), which can end in organic lesions, up to myocardial infarction.
The role of movement and the concept of "unspent emotions"
Emotions are closely linked to movement (flight, pursuit). According to W. Cannon, emotional arousal triggers the sympathoadrenal system, increasing blood pressure and preparing muscles for work through the action of catecholamines.
When muscular work begins, blood vessels in the muscles dilate, reducing peripheral resistance and compensating for the blood pressure surge. However, in the event of immobilization or a situation of "unspent emotions" (according to G.F. Lang), sympathetic activation increases blood pressure, but due to the lack of movement, compensatory mechanisms from blood vessels and baroreceptors are not engaged. The result is chronically elevated blood pressure.
Stress immunity and prevention
Stress resistance can be purposefully enhanced. This is facilitated by:
- Dosage-controlled physical load. Shifting to motor activity (running, swimming) weakens negative emotions.
- Stress immunity. Formed through short, mild, and regular stress loads (e.g., hypoxia, temperature fluctuations, fasting) thanks to the mechanism of cross-adaptation.
- Positive emotions. Hobbies and favorite work generate endorphins and euphorigenic peptides that disrupt negative arousal and stop arrhythmias.
- Antioxidants and endogenous peptides (melatonin, substance P, prolactin, delta-sleep-inducing peptide).
Briefly: answers to topical questions
What diseases can develop under stress in individuals resistant to cardiovascular pathologies?
In individuals resistant to cardiovascular pathologies during emotional stress, disturbances in other functions are often observed, in particular, gastric ulcer lesions may develop.
Which brain structures, besides the hypothalamus, are involved in the formation of emotional stress?
Structures of the limbic system are involved in the formation of emotional states. Key structures include:
- Septum (Septum) — associated with pleasure centers.
- Amygdaloid bodies / Amygdala (Corpus amygdaloideum) — plays a role in the formation of fear and aggression.
- Hippocampus (Hippocampus) — responsible for the emotional coloring of memory.
- Cingulate gyrus (Gyrus cinguli) — participates in the regulation of behavior and autonomic functions.
What stages of the general adaptation syndrome are distinguished according to G. Selye?
By analogy with the general adaptation syndrome, three stages of the stress reaction are distinguished:
- Stage of alarm.
- Stage of resistance.
- Stage of exhaustion.
What else to study on this topic
- Mechanisms of action of the sympathoadrenal system during stress (according to W. Cannon)
- Physiological role of euphorigenic oligopeptides and substance P
- Dynamics of pressor and depressor influences in the pathogenesis of hypertension
- Influence of the hypothalamus on heart rate regulation
- Biochemical agents and their role in mitigating the effects of stress
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