In 1950, Hans Selye, professor and director of the Experimental Institute of Medicine and Surgery in Canada, introduced the concept of general coping syndrome. Based on several studies, such as those of Claude Bernard, Frank Hartmann and Cannon, the scientist established a network of different concepts that explain the response to stress in organisms.
Thus, Selye’s study of stress considers it not only as a physiological process of adaptation, but also as a disease-causing process.
- The purpose of his study was to look for new ovarian hormones.
- For this he injected a solution from cow ovary extracts to rats.
- As a result it was noted that there was a growth and hyperactivity of the adrenal glands.
- In addition.
- Certain organs of the immune system (frequency.
- Thymus.
- Lymph nodes) have reduced their size.
- The solution also caused ulcers in the stomach and intestines of rats.
Apart from this study and others, Selye considered that there is a stress-related pattern that is always the same, so it remains independent of any stimulus that causes it, so General Adaptation Syndrome gives its name to the syndrome that integrates several closely related adaptive reactions of the body.
“Adaptation and stress resistance are fundamental prerequisites for life, involving all vital organs and functions. “Selye, 1950-
The general adaptation syndrome develops in three stages: the alarm reaction, the resistance state, and the exhaustion state.
To adapt, the body initiates stress adaptation processes, so alotasa aims to recover balance or homeostasis.
Homeostasis is defined as the stability of life-sustaining physiological systems, coordinated physiological processes that act to keep most of the states of the body constant, a concept defined in the early twentieth century by Walter Cannon, who also stressed the importance of activating the sympathetic nervous system.
The allostatic load could be defined as the cumulative wear and tear that occurs in different body systems after a prolonged or poorly regulated response, so it would be the price that the organization must pay to be forced to adapt to adverse circumstances, both psychosocial and physical.
Alostasis can compensate for several problems, including compensated heart failure, compensated kidney failure, and compensated liver failure.
Thus, Sterling (2004) proposes six interdependent principles that constitute fundamental alostasis:
Thus, general adaptation syndrome is an example of how stress is at the origin of certain pathologies, in our daily life there are many stressful stimuli that can cause this syndrome, so it is important to know its existence and occurrence.