As the bell rings and you put down your exam paper,you breathe out a sigh of relief.Finals are done, and in a few days you all be sitting on a beach somewhere.
But when you actually get there.... you are suddenly sick.If this has ever been you, you are not alone.Instead of getting sick during a stressful situation,like a week of tests or a big project at the office,it is super common for people to get sick afterwards
.Some of it could have to do withthe bad habits you pick up during project season.But a lot of the reason is because of the wayyour immune system responds to stress.
If you were someone who handled finals by cramming at 3AM,fueled by beef jerky and energy drinks,you probably weren at that surprised when you came down with a cold.Bad habits, especially a lack of sleep, can make you more likely to get sick.
But, even if you were to treat your body like a temple,the stress alone is enough to make you more susceptible to illness.
The first thing your body does when it is stressedis activate its fight or flight response, which you have probably felt before.
It is best known for that classic fast heart rate and breathing,but this response has an immediate effect on the immune system as well.It affects a bunch of hormones, but the big player is an increase in cortisol,the stress hormone.That bump in cortisol helps signal for a shiftfrom a more generalized immunityto a response that is aimed at a specific pathogen.
See, normally, when any invader gets in one of your cells,it is labeled with a marker that identifies it as not you.Then, your body tries to attack it right away.
This process is called cellular or cell-mediated immunity,but it is hindered during stress.Instead, your body signals foran increase in something called humoral immunity.This is the side of your immune systemthat makes proteins to fight specific pathogens.
But instead of kicking in right away, it takes a few days,since your body has to make enough of those proteins.
Researchers still are not totally sure why this transition happens,but it might be a way for your body to limit that all-over sick feelingwhile it tries to survive the stressful event.
So, while you are busy memorizing formulas,your immune system is sitting quietly in the corner,building proteins and leaving you alone.Then, when finals are over, your cortisol levels drop back to normal,and your immune system relaxes as well.
The problem is, it might relax too much.Many of the hormones that signaled for that increased immune activityare actually suppressed when the stress is over.And without messengers signaling for your cells to attack,your body wonat waste energy to do so.
That means that, after finals,you are suddenly an easy target for a pathogen to call home.And, if you are spending your break on a crowded airplane or a packed beachor if you actually picked up a pathogen during finalsthatas bad news for you.Get the tissues ready. I hope you stay healthy!
