• Question: Could being stressed lower natural defences against illnesses?

    Asked by Gibbo to Rachel on 9 Nov 2015. This question was also asked by 443rhed26.
    • Photo: Rachel McMullan

      Rachel McMullan answered on 9 Nov 2015:

      Hi
      That’s exactly what people have found. We’ve known for a long time that when you’re stressed you’re much more likely to get sick but it’s only recently that we’ve started to understand why.
      Your immune system is your body’s way of protecting itself from infection. When your immune system finds something it doesn’t recognise it; like the microbes that make you ill, it destroys it. This stops you getting ill but if your immune system doesn’t manage to destroy the microbes you get sick.
      When your stressed your immune system doesn’t work as well so you’re more likely to get sick. We still do really understand all the links between stress and your immune system, that’s what I’m researching.

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