Arizona State University (ASU) NUR 325 Health and Illness Concepts I Exam 1 Practice

Chronic stress keeps the body's stress response activated for a long period, with hormones like cortisol and catecholamines circulating continuously. These hormones blunt immune function over time, reducing the production and effectiveness of white blood cells. The result is a decreased ability to fight infections and slower healing, reflecting a net drop in circulating white blood cells. Acute stress can momentarily mobilize immune cells, but the persistent nature of chronic stress leads to suppression rather than enhancement of immune activity. That’s why the change described is a decrease in white blood cells.