Using stress as medicine

[Mr Skeptic]

As I understand it, some diseases are hiding in a latent state and become activated by stress. If it were possible to temporarily mimic stress, it might be possible to bring them out of hiding while the immune system is strong rather than weakened. Alternately, if it were possible to mimic not being stressed, then it might be possible to get them to hide when the immune system is weak.

 

What do you folks think?

[Paralith]

As I understand it, some diseases are hiding in a latent state and become activated by stress. If it were possible to temporarily mimic stress, it might be possible to bring them out of hiding while the immune system is strong rather than weakened. Alternately, if it were possible to mimic not being stressed, then it might be possible to get them to hide when the immune system is weak.

 

What do you folks think?

 

Hmm. The main problem with this is that pathogens respond directly to immune status, not by some proxy signal. Stress is not a signal but acutally weakens the immune system (by diverting energy away from the immune system and to other systems in preparation for fight or flight), and it's that immune system weakness that allows the pathogen to activate - otherwise, the immune system would be keeping it in check.

[Mr Skeptic]

Well, there are a lot of factors related to stress. Cortisol, for example. These chemical measures of stress would be far easier for a pathogen to measure, and have a very strong relation to other factors such as lower immune function. Taking a census of the immune system is something that the pathogens can't realistically do, at least not if they are bacteria. However, it could be that I misunderstood and they don't come out of hiding when we are stressed, but at all times but only make us sick when our immune function is lowered.

[SkepticLance]

I doubt it would work. Take shingles, which is the same virus as chickenpox. It activates, usually in older people, when they are stressed and is very painful. However, in between the virus 'hides' in certain nerve cells, where it is undetected by the immune system. If the outbreak is stimulated by simulating stress, there would still be the viruses in hiding to continue the infection after all the work of the immune system is over.

[big314mp]

It's not really a census. More of a "Hey, they aren't killing us anymore" type of deal. When the immune system can't keep the pathogens at bay, due to stress/weakening, the pathogens push the immune system back so to speak.

[Genecks]

As I understand it, some diseases are hiding in a latent state and become activated by stress. If it were possible to temporarily mimic stress, it might be possible to bring them out of hiding while the immune system is strong rather than weakened. Alternately, if it were possible to mimic not being stressed, then it might be possible to get them to hide when the immune system is weak.

 

What do you folks think?

 

I think it's a novel idea.

I mean, stress brings down the immune system.

Thus, since the immune system is down, a person can get more sick.

 

But it seems like a person might get sick from microorganisms that are natural to the surrounding. In other words, a person would get sick when he or she normally would not get sick. And perhaps the reason a person doesn't get sick in the first place is because the antibodies are already at a decent level but lower when stress is created.

 

The idea here is finding a way to increase antibodies and immunities by being under stress.

 

But the thing here is that a person is getting sick from surrounding microorganisms.

And a person doesn't become sick from typical surrounding m.o.s unless he or she is already ill, has a decreased immunity, and blah.

Since stress is already down, a person's immune system would have to fight off the sickness and then become stronger from doing that.

 

I think something that could possibly come out of this is if after being constantly attacked while under stress that the immune system finds better ways to recover while under stress. Research would have to be conducted to prove something like this. Get some mice from Best Buy or Newegg.

 

I think it would be better to have an optimal level of health and introduce bacteria and viruses in large amounts instead of being under stress.

Edited November 2, 2008 by Genecks

[A-Ron21]

Would it be possible to mimic a stressed state by giving a person elevated doses of the hormones that are released during stressful periods of time? Such as cortisol and hormones that retain water, I think ADH or Aldosterone.

[iNow]

Yes. Much like the body mimics a stressed state when under the influence of amphetamines and stimulants, it will mimim a stressed state after taking in outside sources of cortisol.