Name______Class______Date______
How Stress Affects Your Body(pp. 60–64)
Objectives
•List in order the three stages of the body’s response to stress.
•Identify four types of early warning signs for stress.
•Describe the relationship between stress and illness.
The body’s response to stress occurs in three stages—the alarm stage, the resistance stage, and the exhaustion stage.
•During the alarm stage, your body releases adrenaline. Adrenaline causes your heart to beat faster, your breathing to speed up, and your muscles to tense. The initial response of your body to stress is called the fight-or-flight response.
•If you are unable to respond successfully to a stressor during the alarm stage, your body moves into the resistance stage. During the resistance stage, your body adapts to the presence of the stressor. The symptoms from the alarm stage disappear, but the work your body does during this stage uses a lot of energy. So you may become tired and irritable.
•If the stressor continues for a long time, your body enters the exhaustion stage.
At this stage, your physical and emotional resources are depleted.
Recognizing the warning signs of stress may help you prevent some of its negative effects on your health. The warning signs of stress include changes in how your body functions and changes in emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Once you recognize your individual warning signs of stress, it is important to identify the stressor.
Severe or prolonged stress can affect your health. Stress can trigger certain illnesses, reduce the body’s ability to fight an illness, and make some diseases harder to control. For example, stress can trigger stomachaches, asthma attacks, and headaches. Prolonged stress can also reduce the ability of your body’s immune system to fight disease. As a result, you may develop minor illnesses, such as colds, more often. Some effects of prolonged stress may not show up until later in life, in diseases such as heart disease.
Name______Class______Date______
How Stress Affects Your Body(pp. 60–64)
Stages of Stress
1.Fill in the sequence with details about the three stages of the stress response.
Section 3-2: Note Taking Guide (continued)
Recognizing Signs of Stress
List some warning signs of stress.
2.Physical changes include
a.______c.______
b.______d.______
3.Emotional changes include
a.______c.______
b.______d.______
4.Changes in thinking include
a.______c.______
b.______d.______
5.Behavioral changes include
a.______c.______
b.______d.______
Stress and Illness
6.Complete the graphic organizer by listing some ways that stress can affect health.