Chronic stress is a big problem for our brains and how our body fights off illness. When we feel stressed, our body gets ready to either fight or run away. It does this by releasing hormones, like cortisol. A little bit of stress can be helpful, but if we feel stressed for a long time, it can cause serious issues.
What Happens with Neuroinflammation?
When stress sticks around, it can cause neuroinflammation. This is when special cells in our brain, called glial cells, become activated. Glial cells, like microglia and astrocytes, help keep everything balanced in our central nervous system (CNS). But when we are stressed for too long, these cells can get too active, and this leads to inflammation.
Research shows that high levels of cortisol can make these cells release molecules that cause more inflammation. This can mess up how our brain cells work and may even harm them over time.
How Stress Affects Our Brain's Immune System:
Chronic stress also changes how the immune system acts in the CNS. Usually, a barrier called the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects our brain from bad substances. However, when we're stressed, this barrier can become weak, allowing harmful things to enter the brain. Plus, the unbalanced levels of signaling molecules can cause the immune system to work improperly. This puts us at greater risk for serious brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's.
A Real-Life Example:
A study with mice showed that those who were under constant stress had more active microglia and higher levels of inflammation compared to mice that weren’t stressed. This supports the idea that chronic stress is linked to neuroinflammation and a malfunctioning immune system.
In conclusion, while stress is a normal part of life, if it lasts too long, it can cause major changes in neuroinflammation and how our brain's immune system works. So, it's really important to find ways to manage stress for better brain health.
Chronic stress is a big problem for our brains and how our body fights off illness. When we feel stressed, our body gets ready to either fight or run away. It does this by releasing hormones, like cortisol. A little bit of stress can be helpful, but if we feel stressed for a long time, it can cause serious issues.
What Happens with Neuroinflammation?
When stress sticks around, it can cause neuroinflammation. This is when special cells in our brain, called glial cells, become activated. Glial cells, like microglia and astrocytes, help keep everything balanced in our central nervous system (CNS). But when we are stressed for too long, these cells can get too active, and this leads to inflammation.
Research shows that high levels of cortisol can make these cells release molecules that cause more inflammation. This can mess up how our brain cells work and may even harm them over time.
How Stress Affects Our Brain's Immune System:
Chronic stress also changes how the immune system acts in the CNS. Usually, a barrier called the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects our brain from bad substances. However, when we're stressed, this barrier can become weak, allowing harmful things to enter the brain. Plus, the unbalanced levels of signaling molecules can cause the immune system to work improperly. This puts us at greater risk for serious brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's.
A Real-Life Example:
A study with mice showed that those who were under constant stress had more active microglia and higher levels of inflammation compared to mice that weren’t stressed. This supports the idea that chronic stress is linked to neuroinflammation and a malfunctioning immune system.
In conclusion, while stress is a normal part of life, if it lasts too long, it can cause major changes in neuroinflammation and how our brain's immune system works. So, it's really important to find ways to manage stress for better brain health.