My topic is on the HPA activation in response to stress and its side effects on the body, both short and long term. Stress in something we’ve all experienced and although many of us are aware of how it affects us in the moment, we often don’t think about the long term physically, physiological, and neurological affects is has on our bodies. As a psychology major, the HPA axis is something I’ve encountered in many of my courses and although I understand the basics of it and some of its long term effects; I find the need to explore this into further depths in order to understand how it affects someone in my position, a college student. Not only would I like to explore the HPA axis, the mechanism of its activation and side effects, but I would …show more content…
Cortisol is the end product of the HPA axis and it has both good and bad effects on the body, from helping to reduce inflammation in case of injury to storing fat in the belly region and impairing the immune system. Genetic makeup, prenatal experiences, and early life experiences are all different possible factors that can lead to different individuals to being more responsive to stress than others. Prolonged and repeated exposure to cortisol can increase susceptibility for certain illness and injuries amongst individuals. For instance, the rate of visits at a doctor’s office often increases amongst college students during finals week. Stress is part of life and it serves us in both positive and negative terms, however, in today’s fast paced work it’s doing more harm to our bodies than good. Our busy schedules with stress life situations are greatly impacting our stress levels and with repeated stimulation of the HPA (Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland, and Adrenal Cortex) and exposure to cortisol, our bodies are taking the biggest