To cut a long story short, our stress response originates in and is co-ordinated by the brain. Long before a stress response takes place in us, we perceive a threat to our well-being. This may involve all manner of conscious and unconscious thoughts, beliefs, memories, and emotions. It is also obvious that several parts of the brain play a major role in processing this information. This includes the cerebral cortex and other higher centres of the brain. Interestingly, conscious thought may not be just as much involved when all this happens. When your brain decides - consciously, or unconsciously - that all's not well, the hypothalamus is activated. The hypothalamus is the region of the forebrain, and the source of many of the primary electrical and chemical signals that trigger the complete stress response in our body. The hypothalamus also regulates functions, such as eating, drinking, and sensual pleasure. When stress activity is evidenced, the reticular activating system, or our network of cells, will also be enhancing your general level of arousal and awareness - so as to make you more responsive to signals from your sensory organs and less receptive to information that is of no immediate consequence. Example: minor pains, or bodily sensations. So, there you are. When a 'disaster' is about to happen, an itchy, or a running nose, would not be able to disturb, or distract, your attention. There are two primary biological systems involved in the conduction of the stress response. They are the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal system. The sympathetic system links the brain to the internal organs. It also carries maintenance messages needed to regulate essential functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. The sympathetic nervous system essentially regulates the unconscious aspects of our basic bodily functions. However, in a stressful situation, it becomes the chief negotiator of the body's immediate alarm reaction - which is called the fight-or-flight response. In the initial phase of a stress response, the hypothalamus stimulates the nerve endings in the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands - this causes them to release the two hormones, noradrenaline and adrenaline. For instance, a mildly stressful activity, such as public speaking, may generally bring forth a 50 per cent spike in the amount of noradrenaline. The inference is obvious - people suffering from chronic stress, or anxiety, may register persistently raised levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Just take a look around, including you - if that's the case. One in ten people is over-stressed at any given moment in time. 'Chronic stress,' as a study in 'Science News' (February 2, 2026) suggests 'can damage the gut's protective lining, triggering inflammation that may worsen depression. New research shows that stress lowers the levels of a protein, Reelin, which plays a key role in gut repair and brain health. A single injection helped restore Reelin levels and produced antidepressant-like effects in pre-clinical models. The findings suggest at future treatments that target depression through the gut–brain connection.' According to Hector Caruncho, a professor of medicine, the corresponding author of the study, therapies based on Reelin may offer a new way to address gut and brain health. Stress is not only physical and mental. It causes tangible chemical changes in the brain. These changes can manipulate the state of your health and well-being. If stress indicates any change in our normal routine, or health, it also warns us before bad things happen. Likewise, it can indicate good and happy tidings. The anticipation of getting a raise, or promotion, is stressful; so also, being fired from your job. Besides, speculative changes can bring much stress as real changes. Contemplation and expectation about whether, or not, you will get that new project is stressful. The same holds 'good' when you are offered a new position, or responsibility. Women, for instance, are predominantly vulnerable to stress caused by hormonal changes. Stress occurs during puberty, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause, owing to fluctuation in hormone levels. We are also prone to both emotional and physical changes in our day-to-day life. This includes illness and environmental elements - heat, cold, or altitude, pollutants, and toxins. Besides this, some of us have a habit of pushing our body too hard at work, or at play, and for whatever reason. This has the potential to drain our body of the energy it needs to restore itself. The result is amplified stress. Stress is suggested to be one of the contributing factors for as varied disorders as backaches and insomnia, cancer, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). It can also lead to the absence of menstruation and abnormal bleeding in women. Besides, it is evidenced that hormonal imbalances caused by stress may propagate symptoms of fibroid tumours and endometriosis. Stress is also implicated in fertility problems in couples. In a nutshell, heart disease, the most likely stress-related affliction, is one of the leading causes of death on a global scale. Reason: high blood pressure, heart attacks, heart palpitations, and stroke are suggested to be stress-related cardiovascular conditions, not to speak of diabetes, among other systemic disorders While some women experience changes in their sexuality and bump into various sexual dysfunctions, such as loss of desire and vaginal dryness, because of stress, there are others of either sex who often feel the effects of stress - these include lethargy, various aches and pains, headaches, and migraines, lack of sexual yearning, or emotional disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. This is not all. Stress can cause gastrointestinal disorders, including ulcers, lower abdominal cramps, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is not infrequent for people with severe stress to be subject to frequent colds, allergies, and other infections, thanks to reduced immune system reaction time, or function. As a matter of fact, stress can set off skin conditions, such as itching and rashes, including dermatitis and psoriasis. Nidamboor is a wellness physician, independent researcher, and author