PHYSIOLOGICAL AND LABORATORY CHANGES DUE TO STRESS

Abstract

Stress is defined by medicine as a disturbance of homeostasis and the body's balance, triggering an adaptation process. The nervous system acts immediately to a stressor agent, stimulating neurons in the hypothalamus to secrete hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Individuals frequently subjected to stressful situations tend to show changes in clinical exams, which can impact not only laboratory results, but also the medical diagnosis. Thus, it is necessary to understand that stress is not limited to an emotional state, but also a physiological condition that, when persistent, can evolve into a pathology. The present study aimed to analyze the effects of stress on the human body, highlighting its influence on laboratory tests, such as complete blood count, glycemia, and lipid profile, in addition to discussing the possible consequences of prolonged exposure to this state. It is concluded that the changes presented in the complete blood count results were an increase in monocytes,basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets. In glucose, there was an increase causing hyperglycemia, and in the lipid profile, an increase in HDL and a decrease in LDL were observed