Alzheimer’s Delirium and Dementia Q 30

---

Nurse Jessie is assessing a client suffering from stress and anxiety. A common physiological response to stress and anxiety is:

  

     A. Urticaria

     B. Vertigo

     C. Sedation

     D. Diarrhea

    

    

Correct Answer: D. Diarrhea

---

Diarrhea is a common physiological response to stress and anxiety. The ability of stress to impair physiological processes such as growth, reproduction, and immune competence and its association with diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and depression are well known. While acute responses to stress are generally considered effective in dealing with immediate threats, prolonged activation of stress processes could have significant adverse consequences for individuals

---

Option A: Hives are red, swollen, itchy bumps on the skin. Some people get them as part of an allergic reaction to food, medicine, or an insect sting. Others notice hives popping up on their skin on a more regular basis. Stress can also cause hives and can make hives you already have even worse. Stress is also one of the most common triggers of rosacea flare-ups. Rosacea appears as a red flush that spreads across the nose, cheeks, and chin.

Option B: About 5 percent of American adults experience vertigo, and many people notice it when they’re feeling stressed or anxious. Even though stress doesn’t directly cause vertigo, it can contribute to dysfunction of the part of your inner ear that controls balance, called your vestibular system.

Option C: Stress does not cause sedation. During stress, activation of the sympathoadrenal medullary (SAM) system results in the release of noradrenaline from sympathetic nerve terminals and adrenaline and noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla, which results in a range of rapid physiological and behavioral responses such as increases in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure and heightened vigilance.

---