Question

Discuss the relationship between stress and physical/mental aging process. What coping styles do you believe are most effective in dealing with stress experienced in later life? Support your response.

Answer 1

Stress is a response, a stimulus, and a transaction of a situation which causes pressure and feeling of strain. The negative health impact of stress is quite high among people. It varies from poor sleep called as insomnia to unhealthy weight gain, to an increased risk for heart disease. It also has a detrimental effects on the immune system. The scientific connection between DNA and aging is with telomeres. Telomeres functions as a protective casing at the end of a strand of DNA. Cells in our bodies are dividing continuously, regenerating, and dying, but each cell’s life cycle varies. Each time a cell divides, it loses a bit of its telomeres. An enzyme called telomerase can replenish it, but chronic stress and the production of cortisol during stress decreases the supply of telomerase. When the telomere is too diminished, the cell often dies or becomes pro-inflammatory. When cells die and can’t maintain life functions, it leads to aging and further health complications. Stress can literally kill a person

When there is a prolonged stress, it creates that fight-or-flight reaction in an unrelenting way, and due to that, stress chemicals are released into the body in an attempt to cope with the stress. “Stress resistance is the ability to prevent something from being maladaptive while resilience is the ability to recover from maladaptive responses. Recovering from maladaptive responses means the ability to return back after a poor reaction to a stressful situation. “Health span is often defined as the time period of healthy living before eventual decline. Domains that constitute human health have been categorized as metabolic health (encompassing physical activity, nutrition, and all influences on energy balance), skeletal muscle health, cardiopulmonary health, immune health, sensory health, and cognitive/psychological health (Richardson et al., 2015)”.

Exercise increases the overall health of an individual and the sense of well-being. During intense exercise, moments of stress (emotional, physical, psychological) pain,the brain signals the pituitary gland to release endorphins. Endorphins are hormones which interact with the receptors in the brain and it reduces the perception of pain. Endorphins help to relieve pain and induce feelings of pleasure or euphoria. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that, for a healthy adult, at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity like brisk walking or swimming or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity like running or jogging or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity is required. (Mayo Clinic).