26th November 2021 Stress and Illness

The Immune System:

 Antibodies are our natural way to defend against foreign invaders

 Things can make you sick like viruses, bacteria or Fungai
 White-blood cells work in response to the antibody’s ‘flagging’ of foreign invaders / antigens
 They’re manufactured within the bone-marrow then circulated throughout the blood stream
 Stress does not cause infection – it just makes it more likely as your immune system would
be supressed / imuno-supression
 There is only a correlation between stress and illness, it has never been proven that stress is
100% the cause of it.
 Cortisol heals injured tissues but harms your immunity

T-Cells – Mature in the Thymus gland

B-Cells – Mature in the bone-marrow

Different Types of Immunity:

1. Non-specific Immunity – Cells surround and ingest foreign particles whenever they
encounter them immediately. Comparable to a hunt and kill activity – macrophage cells
2. Cell-based Immunity – Lymphocytes (white-blood cells) are sent out to attack something
which the antibodies or macrophage cells have flagged/started attacking. They specifically
seek and kill the antigen
3. Antibody-based Immunity – deals specifically with blood streams antigens like influenza

Kiecolt-Glazer’s Study’s:

Study 1 Study 2
Procedure 1984 1991
Effects of exams 26 women
75 Medical students Longitudinal
Blood sample one month before and Compared two groups – Alzheimer’s carers
on the first day and non-caregivers (matched pairs)
Questionnaire on sources of stress Cut below elbow
and psychological effects
Findings NK and killer T cells decreased 13 months
between 1st and 2nd Caregivers increase in antibodies
Immunosuppression evident Not in control group
Most in lonely of significant sources Higher level of depression 32% compared
of stress to 6%
Small cuts on arm – healing took longer in
carers – 9 days

Cohen (1993) – 394 participants completed a questionnaire to determine how stress they were.
Participants were also given a perceived stress scale to complete. Participants were given a nasal
spray that contained one of the five strains of the common cold. 1/3 of participants came down with
a common cold. Correlation with stress
Evaluation:

 Individual differences – personality, age, gender, types of stress

 Correlation versus cause and effect
 Lifestyle has an impact – smoking, drinking, drugs, exercise
 Need to be longitudinal studies
 Can help people anticipate stress and its impact to try and help immunosuppression