Stress and the Human Body

Abstract

In today’s world, you are likely to hear someone at least once daily say they are “stressed” or that they have so much going on. There are many studies that show that a certain amount of stress can actually be good for a person, but there is always the risk of crossing the normal line which can then lead to chronic stress. An interesting topic among scientists and healthcare professionals, is how much stress can the human body take, and is there dangerous effects on the body if someone is facing too much stress. Dr. Matthew Lovern and his team of scientists at Oklahoma State University are in fact interested in this topic and have performed a study using lizards. They wanted to study the lizards in high stress situations to see whether the lizard would use their remaining energy to mate/reproduce or if they would use the energy to focus on taking care of their own health. When it comes to stress in humans, many times people start to stress about whatever situation they may be in and may neglect their health by eating very unhealthy foods, drinking alcohol, or using drugs. Life is full of tradeoffs, but in stressful situations, many times people do not prioritize their health.