Study: Psychological stress increases skin sensitivity

Mark
Written By Mark

Researchers have discovered new evidence that helps understand how stress and stress can increase skin sensitivity.

In a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers found that stress disrupts immune functions and interferes with the body’s response to inflammation.

The study conducted on mice showed that psychological stress limits the ability of specialized immune cells called anti-inflammatory macrophages to remove dead cells at the site of the allergy.

The researchers said that the accumulation of dead cells in tissues increases the infiltration of immune cells called eosinophils, which raises the level of allergic response, and then leads to increased feelings of allergy.

Stress memory

“This is the first study in the world to prove that stress… disrupts the function of macrophages, which normally help suppress allergic reactions, thus increasing the allergic response,” Dr. Soichiro Yoshikawa, the study’s lead researcher and a professor at Juntendo University School of Medicine in Japan, said in a statement.

The researchers also found that the effect of psychological stress on immune cells appears to be long-lasting and could affect phagocytic cells produced by the immune system at a later time.

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“This phenomenon, referred to as ‘stress memory’, means that extreme stress and tension leave a lasting imprint on immune cells, affecting their function and contributing to the development of the disease,” Yoshikawa said.

The researchers indicated that avoiding psychological stress completely would be the ideal solution to prevent immune cell dysfunction.

Since this is not always possible, understanding the molecular mechanisms behind “stress memory” may pave the way for treatments for skin allergies.