Knowra Stress response Stress response The coordinated physiological and psychological changes triggered by perceived demands or threats. These changes can support immediate action and longer-term adaptation, but prolonged activation can damage health.
Sympathetic nervous system : The autonomic nervous system division that mobilizes the body during exertion or threat. It rapidly raises alertness, heart rate, and energy availability during acute stress.
Homeostasis : The regulation of internal conditions within ranges compatible with functioning. Stress responses disrupt and help restore regulated conditions under challenge.
Fight-or-flight response : A rapid physiological pattern that prepares an organism to confront danger or escape it. It is a recognizable acute form of stress-related mobilization.
Anxiety : A state of apprehension and heightened vigilance often directed toward uncertain future threats. Anxiety can accompany stress, but it may persist without an immediate external demand.
Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis : A hormonal signaling pathway linking the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex. Its cortisol release sustains part of the response beyond the initial neural surge.
Allostasis : The process of achieving stability through physiological or behavioral change. Stress adaptation often changes bodily settings rather than simply restoring a fixed baseline.
Chronic stress : Persistent or repeatedly activated stress that continues over an extended period. Long-lasting demands can keep stress systems active and undermine health.
Acute stress disorder : A trauma-related mental disorder involving symptoms after exposure to traumatic events, lasting from three days to one month. It is a clinical diagnosis, unlike the ordinary stress response to demands.
Cortisol : A steroid hormone that regulates metabolism, immune activity, and responses to stress. It helps maintain energy supply during stress and feeds back on the response.
Threat appraisal : The evaluation of whether a situation poses danger or exceeds available coping resources. Perceived threat, not physical challenge alone, can trigger a stress response.
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