FUNDAMENTALS (LECTURE)

CONCEPTS OF STRESS, ADAPTATION AND 6. Stress:

ILLNESS when prolonged / intense may lead to
exhaustion (adaptive mechanism can no longer
STRESS – non-specific response of the body to any demand
work) illness or death
made upon it.

 Feeling that people have when they are overloaded and

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF STRESS
struggling to cope with demands. 1. Stress helps the body prepare to face danger.
 Stress is the body’s natural defense against predators and 2. Stress can be a motivator.
danger. It flushes the body with hormones to prepare systems 3. It can be essential to survival. (e.g. fight-flight
to evade o confront danger. reaction)
4. The symptoms can be both physical and
CHARACTERISTICS OF STRESS psychological.
5. Short-term stress can be helpful, but long-term
1. Stress is a Universal Phenomenon – always a part of the
stress is linked to various health conditions.
fabric of daily life. As long as we ae alive, we experience it.
6. A single stress is not an illness in itself and does
2. Stress does not always lead to distress – maybe pleasant or
NOT cause an illness. Each person responds to
unpleasant.
stress in a different way, but too much stress can
Example:
lead to health problems.
 Common s/s of cough, diarrhea, fever and
7. We can prepare for stress by learning some self-
pain.
management tips.
- The person has built-in mechanisms to adapt to stress.
8. The more stressors we experience, the more stress
3. Stress is not always something to be avoided
we tend to feel.
4. A single stress does not cause a dse – a dse is caused by
Stressors – FACTORS in the
multiple stresses.
environment that triggers stress.
5. Stress may lead to another stress – a stress of the diarrhea
may lead to dehydration.
EXAMPLES OF DAILY AND COMMON
FEVER CONVULSION
STRESSORS:
PAIN lead to NEUROGENIC SHOCK
 PHYSIOLOGICAL – hunger

(Neurogenic shock is a distributive type of shock resulting in
low blood pressure, occasionally with a slowed heart rate, that
is attributed to the disruption of the autonomic pathways within
the spinal cord. It can occur after damage to the central nervous
system, such as spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.)
 PHYSICAL / ECONOMIC – disorganized kitchen,
dress/clothes to dse, no food in the ref.
No jeepney, traffic
 PHYSIOLOGICAL/ MENTAL – quiz, dis not
study / do assignment

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 FUNDAMENTALS (LECTURE)

 POLITICAL – political ads covering the news the STAGES OF GAS BY HANS SELYE
physical environment. (Hans Selye: Father of stress theory)
--------------------------------------------------------------
a.) ALARM STAGE – stressor upsets homeostasis of
ADAPTATION cellular balance
b.) RESISTANCE STAGE – body fights back by
 Adjustments that a person makes when he/she is under
adjusting to the stress.
stress.
c.) EXHAUSTION STAGE – rest permits enhanced
 Response of the body to a challenge given to it.
adaptation.
 Process by which the body activates resources to help us No rest = overtraining, injury, lack
responds productively to the effects of stress. of adaptation

 ADAPTIVE RESPONSE – able to help us cope with

OTHER:
stress so we will not develop dse.
STAGE 1: ALARM – A stressor is perceived by the
ADAPTATION OR POSTIVE REPONSES TO STRESS
pituitary-adrenal system and the
LEADS TO:
sympathomedullary pathways are activated.
 Homeostasis/equilibrium, balance of the body -activates fight-flight
functioning.
STAGE 2: RESISTANCE – if the stressor persists,
 MALADAPTIVE RESPONSE – bad or not able to help
the body’s response systems maintain activation,
the person cope with stress becomes ill
with levels of stress related hormones and bodily
arousal remaining high.
ADAPTIVE RESPONSES
STAGE 3: EXHAUSTION – Long periods of stress
1. GAS and LAS by Hans Selye
(chronic stress) eventually exhausts the body’s
2. Inflammatory response
defence systems. This is the stage stress-related
3. Psycho-physiologic response
illness develop.

1. GENERAL AND LOCAL ADAPTATION

SYNDROMES
1.1General Adaptation Syndrome
 Entire body responds to stress
 Group of signs and symptoms (syndrome)
will be manifested by the person as a result
of his/her response to stress.

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 FUNDAMENTALS (LECTURE)

EXAMPLES OF STRESSORS: Physical injury, 2. To protect tissue from further injury

elevated temp, dehydration, blood loss 3. To prepare tissue for repair
HYPOTHALAMUS
PHYSIOLOGY OF INFLAMMATORY
SYMPATHETIC ADRENAL MEDULLA RESPONSE
NERVOUS SYSTEM (Epinephrine &
(Norepinephrine) Norepinephrine) 1. VASCULAR RESPONSE
- constriction of -balanced dilation and
blood vessels constriction of blood Increased Capillary Permeability
slows organ fxnng vessels
increases / speeds up Hyperemia Fluid Cellular Exudation
Kidneys Brain - redness (rubor)
Mouth Eyes - heat (calor) Edema (tumor) Exudates
Peripheral areas Heart – BP & PR rise
GIT Respiratory – faster Pain (dolor) Impaired Fxn
(ex. Impaired Physical Activity)
Pancreas breathing
Urinary bladder Digestive
2. CELLULAR RESPONSE
Digestive System Blood clotting

1.2 LOCAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME

- Just a particular body part or body organ
responds to stress (localized in small portion of
the body)
EXAMPLE: Inflammatory Response

2. INFLAMMATORY RESPOSE
(stressor: physical injury)
MAY DIAGRAM BA TO? WALA AKONG COPY 
Definition: - swelling and redness of a specific body
part.
-mobilization of physical defense Neutrophils – surrounds the inured area which we
mechanisms. call the pavementation.
Purposes: Rationale: To contain and protect the injured
1. To localize tissue injury portion.

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FUNDAMENTALS (LECTURE)

Emigration/Diapedesis (Leukocyte extravasation) –

the process wherein leukocytes will transfer and
emigrate outside the the capillary.

Chemotaxis – attracts the microorganisms and foreign

body. Then, it will attach, binds and locks the
microorganisms
(remember: chemotaxis - no capability of engulfing)

Phagocytosis – eats the microorganisms

*not all microorganisms can be eaten*

- Increases metabolism (Pyrogenic

activity – fighting activity) How? by heat which
causes hyperthermia.
*pyrogenic activity also causes activity intolerance
due to continuous usage of energy*

3. REPARATIVE RESPONSE OR HEALING

- Regeneration
- Scar

Risk Secondary Fxn rt:

- poor wound care
- non practice of antiseptic technique
- nutrition

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FUNDAMENTALS (LECTURE)
PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGIC RESPONSE
- Dominant side of the body under constant stress –
becomes larger
- More production of melanin that makes skin of
lowland darker to protect inner layers of the skin.
 Anxiety - Depression
 Fear - Coping Mechanisms
 Anger - Defense Mechanisms
*sometimes, psychologic response comes first then
physiologic response*
Anxiety – most communicable psychophysiological
condition.
- most communicable uncomfortable feeling
- most common reaction to stress and illness
- state of mental UNEASINESS,
APPREHENSION, dread or feeling of
helplessness rt to an impending or
anticipated unidentified to self.
- fear of the unknown
- can be experience consciously, sub-
consciously and unconsciously
NSG DX: Anxiety: (specific level) related to an
anticipated unidentifiable threat to the self.
Level of Anxiety (see page 6)
COPING MECHANISMS
- Active methods of problem solving developed to
meet life’s challenges.
- “constantly changing cognitive and behavioral
efforts to manage specific external and/or
internal demands that are appraised as taxing”
- Strategies people often use in face of stress
and/or trauma to help manage painful or difficult
emotions.
Types of Coping Mechanisms
a. Support – Talking about a stressful event w/ a
supportive person can be an effective way to manage
stress. Seeking external support instead of self –
isolating and internalizing the effects of stress can
greatly reduce the negative effects of a difficult
situation.
b. Relaxation – Any number of relaxing activities can
help people cope with stress. Relaxing activities may
include practicing, meditation, progressive muscle
relaxation or the other calming techniques, sitting in
nature, or listening to soft music.
c. Problem-solving – This coping mechanism involves
identifying a problem that is causing stress and then
developing and putting into action some potential
solutions for effectively managing it.
d. Humor – Making light of a stressful situation may
help people maintain perspective and prevent the
situation from becoming overwhelming.
e. Physical Activity – exercise can serve as a natural
and healthy form of stress relief. Running, yoga,
swimming, walking, dance, team sports, and many
other types of physical activity can help people cope
with stress and the aftereffects of traumatic events.
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 FUNDAMENTALS (LECTURE)

DEFENSE MECHANISMS - A short-lived depression in response to

an overwhelming stressful event is
- Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that
considered an adaptive response
are unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety
arising from unacceptable thoughts or feeling - Behavioral manifestations
- Rationale: to protect ourselves from feeling of anxiety or -feeling of tiredness, sadness,
guilty, which arise because we feel threatened, or emptiness, numbness
because our Id or Superego becomes too demanding - irritability, headache, dizziness
- Help ward off unpleasant feelings (anxiety, conflict, -inability to concentrate, difficulty in
anger, depression, etc.) making decisions.
- Generally, operate on UNCONSCIOUS level. Some are -Loss of sexual desire, crying, sleep,
conscious. disturbances, social withdrawal
Depression – extreme feeling of sadness, despair, lack . Loss of appetite, weight loss,
of worth, emptiness - common reaction to constipation
events that seem overwhelming or negative

Manifestations Mild Moderate Severe Panic

Verbal Increased questioning Voice tremors and Communication Communication

pitch changes could be difficult to unintelligible with
understand personality
disintegration
 Tremors  Increased motor  Increased motor
Motor  Mild restlessness
 Facial twitches activity activity
and sleepiness
 Shakiness  Inability to relax  Trembling and
 seek information
 Increased muscle  Fearful facial poor motor
 enhances perception,
tension expressions condition
learning and
productive abilities.
 Inability to focus  Perception or
Perception and attention  Feeling of increased  Narrowed or
 Focus only on very understanding is
changes arousal and selective focus on
small details disoriented
alertness central concern
 Easily distracted  Unable to learn or
worrying  Difficulty with function
problem solving  Impossible problem
 Learning is severely solving, logical
impaired (unable to thinking and DM
organize ideas)

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