Stress can do many things to your body. It affects the nervous system, the heart and hormones just to name a few. Our body reviews all situations and decides whether or not it is stressful. This decision is made based on sensory input and processing and also on stored memories. The stress response begins in the brain. The hypothalamus in the brain is in charge of the stress response. When a stress response is triggered, it sends signals to two other structures the pituitary gland, and the adrenal medulla. Then, the fight-or-flight reaction kicks in. The fight- or- flight a physiological change that increases the heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and blood glucose, initiated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
How the nervous system reacts to stress
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The central division involves the brain and spinal cord and the peripheral division consisting of the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has a direct role in physical response to stress and is divided into the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). When the body is stressed, the SNS generates what is known as the "fight or flight" response. The body moves all of its energy resources to fighting off a life threat, or fleeing from an enemy. Then the SNS signals the adrenal glands to release hormones called cortisol and adrenalin. These hormones cause the heart to beat faster, blood vessels in the arms and legs to dilate, respiration rate to increase, digestive process to change and glucose levels in the bloodstream to