Stress and hormonal system
What is really going on in the body?
The effect of stress on the body:
The body responds to stress by stimulating the autonomic nervous system. When the “fight or flight” situation sets in, the body prepares itself against impending danger and is put on high alert. Adrenaline, a circulatory hormone, is released from the adrenal medulla and as a result blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster and the muscles receive better blood flow.
Due to the increased release of cortisol, you tend to sweat more, digestion slows down as more blood is sent to the muscles and your blood sugar rises because more energy is provided.
The body needs a lot of cortisol to cope with stress and continues to increase cortisol production. Optimal conditions for an impending fight or flight, unnecessary when we are sitting at our desk and getting annoyed or standing at the traffic lights and waiting, knowing that we will be late again.
The increased release of adrenaline stimulates the hypothalamus-pituitary axis (intercommunicating hormonal glands) to release ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). This in turn causes the adrenal cortex to produce more of the anti-stress hormone cortisol.
At the same time, DHEA (dihydroxyepiandosterone), a hormone also produced in the adrenal glands, decreases. First of all, when you are stressed, the cortisol level rises and the DHEA level falls.
The excessive release of cortisol signals to the body that it is in great danger and also blunts the negative feedback over time. At some point the cortisol release is no longer slowed down by the negative feedback and high cortisol levels arise without normal daily rhythms.
If the stress continues, the chronic stress can cause the adrenal glands to become exhausted and no longer able to produce enough cortisol. Nobody can continuously perform at 150% of normal performance for a long time, unfortunately neither can your adrenal glands.
Due to constant overload, the cortisol level drops below the norm and with this important cortisol functions are disrupted.
Adrenal fatigue
These functional disorders are not detected using standard laboratory diagnostics.
Normal blood tests are designed to detect severe and absolute adrenal hormone deficiencies.
Adrenal fatigue can be detected by determining markers of adrenal function (cortisol and DHEA). The best option here is to measure both hormones in saliva. The amount of free circulating hormones (= physiologically active hormones) can be determined in saliva, while the bound hormones are measured in blood tests. Examining both hormones in saliva gives a much more accurate picture of adrenal function. In addition, other neurotransmitters such as adrenaline (from urine) should be determined.
As a result of the exhausted adrenal gland, further dysfunctions within the hormonal control circuits can develop, the thyroid gland in particular being mentioned here as an example.
Exhaustion of the adrenal gland has only been known as a clinical picture for a few years and is still often easily overlooked or remains completely unrecognized due to ignorance and/or the variety of possible health disorders. This must be distinguished from Addison’s disease, which occurs due to adrenal insufficiency. Here the normal activity of the adrenal glands has largely ceased and a life-threatening disease develops if left untreated. Adrenal fatigue, on the other hand, can occur when the amount of stress exceeds the body’s compensatory capacity (cortisol production) and regeneration can no longer take place. The English term “adrenal fatigue” describes this condition very well.
Signs of adrenal fatigue:
• Patients are often tired, exhausted and they hardly get up early
• Cortisol raises blood sugar levels and thus directly ensures the provision of enough energy.
If there is too little cortisol, blood sugar regulation is disrupted in the long term and temporary (temporary) hypoglycemia can occur (low blood sugar). This becomes noticeable with various symptoms. Fatigue is felt because the cells can no longer provide sufficient energy. If blood sugar levels continue to fall, drowsiness and dizziness may occur. Stressful situations make this situation even worse. The body quickly tries to provide more energy and produces insulin to transport the sugar into the cells. This increases the existing hypoglycemia. The reflex release of adrenaline leads to unpleasant vegetative symptoms. The brain is particularly sensitive to fluctuating blood sugar levels because it cannot store glucose and requires a lot of energy itself.
• Cortisol has a strong anti-inflammatory and dampening effect on the body’s immune system.
If there is a lack of cortisol in sufficient quantities, this can promote the spread of inflammation. The chronification of inflammation is promoted.
• The immune system is weakened and the body can no longer fight infections effectively.
Due to a lack of cortisol, excessive immune reactions can no longer be adequately suppressed and, for example, allergies can be promoted. That’s why cortisone is also used therapeutically for acute or chronic inflammation, but may not be used so easily for infections.
In summary, three stages in the development of adrenal fatigue can be roughly distinguished:
• Fight or run away response
- High levels of stress, increased cortisol levels. The entire body is constantly running at full speed.
• Resistance
- Decreasing cortisol levels with sometimes characteristic changes in the physiological daily rhythm.
• Exhaustion
- Low cortisol levels due to increasing exhaustion (overload) of the adrenal glands.
Thyroid/adrenal and stress
The thyroid and adrenal glands are closely connected to each other via the hormonal control circuits. If there are problems with the thyroid gland, the adrenal glands should always be examined too!
So we have stress as a trigger f!
Due to high levels of cortisone, cortisone in turn inhibits the enzyme 5-deiodinase, which is responsible for converting T4 to T3 (both are thyroid hormones).
Other hormones, such as high testosterone levels in women or taking contraceptives, also cause resistance to the T 4 and T 3 receptors.
Functional exhaustion of the adrenal glands can be reversed. Regeneration requires a lot of time, patience and perseverance on the part of the patient, usually several months. Often it is not a straight path, but rather a forward path with small setbacks in between. The regeneration of the adrenal glands requires a lot of cooperation, consistency and perseverance on the part of the patient, which is ultimately rewarded by regained well-being.
Not all stress is the same!
Excessive stress of a variety of nature is a stressor for the body, which can lead to numerous health problems by exhausting the adrenal glands.
• Psychological stress
(professional or private stress = mental stress), unresolved problems, constant overwhelm
• Infections
(acute or chronic, with chronic infections often no longer causing any characteristic
symptoms)
• Physical stress
(heavy physical work, sports)
• Medications, heavy metal contamination, radioactive radiation
• Sensory stress
(overstimulation caused by excessive television, computer consumption, lack of sleep, noise
pollution, general overstimulation)
• Metabolic stress
(through wrong food that is too high in energy -industrial food and ready meals)
In addition to laboratory diagnostics (saliva test, by our partner laboratory in Germany), HRV measurement (measuring heart rate variability – see also diagnostics on our homepage) is a simple and efficient method to test the extent of stress, regardless of the cause. A healthy, responsive autonomic nervous system, along with orderly hormonal control circuits, is an important prerequisite for a powerful body in which we feel good.
Interested? Arrange a consultation appointment for the stress test (HRV measurement) today and also check our homepage from time to time under Academy / Patient Workshop. Information evenings on the topic of stress/hormonal systems are planned.
Your NMC team Krk