O EFEITO DO ESTRESSE NO SISTEMA IMUNOLÓGICO

Stress is an element inherent in every disease, which produces certain changes in the structure and chemical composition of the body, which can be observed and measured. Hans Selve was the first to seriously research stress in the 1930s. He observed that different organisms showed the same physiological response pattern to sensory or psychological stimuli, and that this would have harmful effects on almost all organs, tissues and metabolic processes. Through his research, Hans Selve described the “General Adaptation Syndrome” (GAS) with its three phases: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. There are two types of stress: chronic stress, which affects most people, is a constant part of everyday life, but in a milder form and can lead to the exhaustion phase, resulting in adverse health consequences, such as cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and even cancer. Acute stress, on the other hand, is more intense and short lived and is usually caused by traumatic but temporary situations. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the physiological reactions to stress and how the body responds when exposed to these situations. This work is a literature review, whose theoretical reference for the composition were studies between 1984 and 2022, available in the Scielo and Lilacs databases. Seven studies were selected for the elaboration of the results, and all agreed that stress is associated with the development of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, in which the rise in cortisol levels negatively affects the formation of new memories. Therefore, implementing effective stress management strategies is fundamental to preserving immune health and promoting well-being.