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College stress can cause variety of physical, mental health problems

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The life of a college student can be demanding. Trying to balance classes, clubs, work and sports can be overwhelming and mentally exhausting. Stress becomes a feeling students may be all too familiar with.

What people may not be aware of is the chain of events students physically endure when feelings of stress enter their brains.

Stress is broken up into three phases. In Phase 1, a stressor, or some psychological or physical event, triggers the body's response to stress. In Phase 2, the body interprets these stressors and decides how it will cope with them. Finally, in Phase 3, the body reacts to stress and provides a reaction, which is the end result and determines how a person reacts physically, emotionally or behaviorally.

Along with the phases of three types of stress exist. According to the American Psychological Association, the most common form is acute stress. In small doses, acute stress is not problematic. It is easily recognized by those that suffer from it, and is easily treatable.

The next type of stress, episodic acute stress, is the result of a constant stage of acute stress. Those suffering from this type of stress tend to be short-tempered, irritable and tense.

Finally, the most damaging type of stress is chronic stress. This type of stress results when you view a stressful situation as having "no way out." The most serious part of chronic stress is that those who suffer from it generally get used to it, often forgetting that the stress is present. Chronic stress may eventually lead to heart attack or stroke.

Physically, the domino effect from stress starts with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or "stress circuit." This is the communication between the nervous system and stress hormones. It is also where signals sent from the brain trigger the release of hormones that are needed to deal with stress. The part of a person's brain called the hypothalamus releases corticotrophin-releasing hormones. This acts on the pituitary gland, triggering the release of yet another hormone, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) into the bloodstream. Finally, ACTH signals to the adrenal glands (which are above the kidneys) to release a number of hormonal compounds.

One of these hormonal compounds is cortisol. Cortisol releases sugar in the form of glucose from body reserves. This can then be used in turn as fuel to power the muscles and the brain. According to the National Institutes of Health, if the level of cortisol becomes too high, it can increase appetite. It may also cause abdominal fat to accumulate.

Stress not only affects a person's body in terms of weight gain; it can also target the immune system, reproductive system, growth or sleeping patterns.

If stress targets the immune system, that person becomes more susceptible to the flu, colds, fatigue and infections. Though it has not been proven, evidence suggests that too much stress on the immune system could even make stressed-out individuals more susceptible to diseases such as cancer.

While stress can be overly consuming, there are many ways to deal with it. The very first step, physicians suggest, is to identify the source of stress. From there, learning to manage time helps out.

A large part of overcoming stress is how the situation is handled. Senior Jerrod Planitzer said he deals with stress through his diet and exercise routines.

"Trying to juggle money, school and finding time for the gym is stressful," he said. "I just try to eat regularly and use my exercise time as my relaxing time."

Regular practices like Planitzer's help retain a feeling of control in life, and effectually ward off oncoming feelings of stress.