NURS 287 Lecture Notes - Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Atherosclerosis, The Relaxation Response
28 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Stress occurs when individuals perceive that they cannot adequately cope with the demands being made on them or with the threats to their well-being. Key personal characteristics such as hardiness, sense of coherence, resilience, and attitude buffer the impact of stress. The physiologic response of the person to stress is reflected in the interrelationship of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Stress activation of these systems affects other systems, such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and reproductive systems. Stress can have effects on cognitive function, including poor concentration, memory problems, distressing dreams, sleep disturbances, and impaired decision-making. Long-term stress may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. Other conditions either precipitated or aggravated by stress include migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and peptic ulcers. Coping is defined as a person"s cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external or internal stressors that seem to exceed available resources. Coping can be either positive or negative.
