Stress and its link to Alopecia Areata
Autoimmune diseases, which come in many forms and with varying severity, are intrinsically linked to the health of the immune system, and the immune system is heavily influenced by stress levels. Stress is like a mode which the body can switch into when it needs to focus its energy on certain tasks. Response times are faster, thought processes are more focused, and all but the most essential bodily functions are sidelined in favour of these advantageous features.
Though the specific causes of alopecia areata are yet to be identified, various related studies have demonstrated the impact of stress on many autoimmune disorders. Many of these studies have identified a host of hormonal and cellular changes which occur as a result of stress. Cases of chronic stress are now taken extremely seriously due to their apparent impact on the immune system.
Psychoneuroimmunology (the relationship between stress and immune health)
Stress is the inability of a person to respond to physical or emotional threats or challenges. It is a way that the body responds to stressors. The symptoms of stress can be characterized by increased heart rate, muscle tension, lack of concentration, headache, exhaustion, irritability and increased adrenaline. Long periods of stress can result in reduced hormone levels, weak immune systems and (as many people describe) the feeling of running on low batteries. It is at this time that most people report contracting illnesses, being tired, unable to cope and generally feeling run down. This is when many autoimmune disorders develop. The study of a person’s state of mind and the related health of their body is a common theme in medicine. The study of how mental health interacts with the nervous and immune systems is called Psychoneuroimmunology.
The basic relationship between the immune system and stress levels lies in the way the two communicate with each other. Through signalling pathways the brain and immune system "talk to each other". This process is important in maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis makes sure that the needs of all cells in the body are met, allowing the cells to function properly despite changes to external factors. The two major pathways in which the brain and immune system communicates are known as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system, also known as HPA and SNS for short. The main pathway of communication is the HPA axis. The HPA axis reacts to stressors in order to maintain homeostasis. The body’s inability to regulate the HPA axis is a major cause of many stress related illnesses.
Linking stress to alopecia areata
The relationship between alopecia areata and stress levels is one of much ambiguity. Numerous studies have indicated a possible link between alopecia areata and the stress levels of an individual, but definitive data to fully support this claim is both scarce and the outcomes are not reasonably consistent with each other. However even without sufficient evidence, a wide number of people do report having episodes of stress in and around the time of the diagnosis of alopecia areata. This claim suggests rather that stress can be a trigger of alopecia areata and not a direct cause.
A similar hair loss condition that is a result of stress is known as telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium is the loss of hair due to a very stressful one-time event. Such events can include a major surgery, childbirth, chronic illness, a major accident, the loss of a loved one, or severe emotional trauma. But unlike alopecia areata, telogen effluvium is not due to an autoimmune reaction. Alopecia areata is also believed to be triggered by chronic stress. Chronic stress is the prolonged long term effect of stressors on an individual’s mental health. Stress that has coincided with alopecia areata is not of the same nature as telogen effluvium, which is only triggered by a serious one-time episode of stress; instead it is long term chronic stress that is believed to be one of the triggers for alopecia areata to manifest.
Though stress can be a trigger to the development of alopecia areata, it isn’t necessarily a trigger in all cases of the disease nor would it be the only trigger of the disease. People still can develop alopecia areata even without any degree of stress, both long term and short term. Stress can also work in conjunction with other factors to cause alopecia areata as well.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is no evidence to support the claim that the removal of all stress from a patient’s life can cure alopecia areata or lessen the effects of it. We do know however that the immune system and stress levels are both intimately related. The reduction of stress can help improve the strength of the body’s immune system. Therefore logically we can believe that restoring the immune system to stress free levels can provide for a better chance that a patient’s alopecia areata will dissipate.
How to control stress
Though there is no specific data indicating as such, some alopecia areata patients report improvements in their condition when they remove stress from their lives as best they can. Stress is sometimes described as a loss of control, and certainly results in the individual being more focused on external factors than their own bodily health. With that in mind, psychologists suggest directly tackling stress head on.
The first step to getting stress under control, and possibly reducing the impact of alopecia areata, is to take account of events and identify what scenarios that are causing you the most stress. Once stressful elements of life have been identified, eliminate them. Of course, it’s not always possible to quit a job to eliminate stress, but employers are becoming wise to the large impact stress can have on employee health and work routine – they may be able to suggest a less stressful working environment or offload some of your workload.
Conclusion
Long term chronic stress can trigger alopecia areata. It is not intrinsically linked to stress, but studies have shown that it may be triggered by it in some instances. In like terms, no specific research has demonstrated that a lack of stress can reduce or cure alopecia areata, but numerous personal accounts do indicate that it can help people gain control of the disease. If nothing else, removing stress provides time to come to terms with the substantial psychological impact of such a disease.