The psychologist spoke about the effects of chronic stress on the immune system

More and more people are facing the fact that stress is becoming a part of their daily lives. However, it is important not to forget that when stress develops into a chronic condition, it begins to weaken the body's most important systems, such as the immune system. Anastasia Egorova, a clinical psychologist, business psychologist, and author of the Cognitive Navigator methodology, told Izvestia about this on May 16.

She noted that with constant stress, the body becomes more vulnerable to diseases every day. In case of threat or heavy load, it activates protective mechanisms. The sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, which secrete stress hormones, are activated.

"However, if stress becomes chronic, its effects on the body begin to have negative consequences. Constantly elevated cortisol levels, which help us adapt to short-term stress, begin to weaken the immune system. Cortisol suppresses the activity of immune cells such as T-lymphocytes and macrophages, which makes the body more vulnerable to infections and reduces the ability to recover from diseases," the psychologist warned.

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She explained that normally the immune system controls inflammatory processes, preventing their excessive development, but under chronic stress, the level of inflammatory molecules increases, which leads to chronic inflammation. This contributes to the development of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and even cancer. Chronic inflammation also makes it difficult to recover from illnesses or injuries, which makes the body even more vulnerable.

Egorova calmed down: The negative effects resulting from chronic stress can be minimized by strengthening stress tolerance.

"This is not an innate trait, but a skill that can be developed throughout a lifetime. The higher the stress tolerance, the better the psycho—emotional state and the lower the risk of stress-related diseases," the specialist explained.

Egorova recommended exercising more often — during physical activity, the body activates neurochemical reactions that reduce stress levels. The body releases endorphins, which reduce anxiety and depression, boost mood, and improve overall well-being.

In addition, the psychologist reminded us that stress management does not always require physical effort. Sometimes it's enough to stop and just "be."

"This is the essence of mindfulness practices — the ability to be in the moment without letting thoughts and emotions overwhelm us. When we train mindfulness, we learn to observe ourselves and our reactions without judgment, without getting involved in negative emotions. This helps not only to reduce anxiety, but also to learn how to manage your reactions in difficult situations, creating an internal balance," said Egorova.

Earlier, on April 20, an expert at the Hemotest laboratory, oncologist Margarita Chernaya, told Izvestia that stress can lead to cancer. According to her, with constant overexertion, the immune system, responsible for destroying cancer cells, is disrupted. In addition, due to stress, an inflammatory process can begin in the body.