THE BODY'S REACTIONS TO STRESS, ITS CHARACTERISTICS AND MANIFESTATIONS

A modern young person reacts to stress in the same way as people in ancient times: with mental and physical tension, mobilization of energy. This is a manifestation of stress, preparing the body for fight or flight, which is a physiological unconditioned reflex. However, in this case, it does not come down to fight or flight - the relaxation phase begins. Much has changed since those distant times. There are many more reasons that cause a stressful situation - as well as information about stress. Today we already know that stress exists, we know how to identify a stressful state and how to deal with stress. Today, stress affects a person throughout the day (if not to say - around the clock), from the morning rush to the evening and even during sleep. Stress has become a natural and integral part of our daily life. Sometimes we do not even pay attention to it, and the long-term impact of negative emotions threatens with the risk of developing such psychosomatic diseases as myocardial infarction, peptic ulcer, hypertension, bronchial asthma, mental disorders, etc. Prolonged stress can lead to accidents and even suicide. Stress is our daily “companion”, so (whether we like it or not) we must reckon with it and be able to coexist with it and fight it. Even if we do not feel its influence at all, this does not give us the right to forget about it and the danger it poses. In the first stage, the body’s defenses are mobilized, which ultimately contributes to the recovery and development of the second stage. In this case, the body’s resistance may be increased in relation to other stimuli (the so-called cross-resistance). However, depending on the circumstances, increased sensitivity may develop (cross-sensitization). In the second stage, recovery occurs. But if the action of the pathogenic stimulus continues and the body’s defenses are depleted, the third stage begins – the exhaustion stage. The starting link (trigger mechanism) of the body's adaptation to unusual conditions is fast and short-term reflex processes (protective reflexes, various vasomotor, secretory, trophic reflexes).