Does Stress have to be Detrimental to Your Health?

The demands of our fast paced society are continuously increasing.  They challenge us to see how fast we can get something done and how many projects or events we can squeeze into one day.  More often than not, we do it at the expense of our own health.  While many people work full time jobs, additional part time jobs, balance children’s activities, along with having to keep up with household chores, our days are packed full without much time to recover or focus on our health.  Living this type of lifestyle can disrupt our normal hormonal cascade, leaving our body in a constant state of stress.

Cortisol and Thyroid

Cortisol is released from our adrenal glands and is one of the main hormones that we measure to determine if our stress response is working properly.  Cortisol levels can be most accurately tested through saliva.  Cortisol is released when our body enters a stressful state and is intended to redirect cellular activity away from long-term metabolic processes and towards those that mainly function on immediate survival and homeostasis.  Cortisol promotes the release of glycogen from the liver in the form of glucose which enters the blood stream to give us more energy.  However, it will also promote uptake and storage of glucose by fat tissue, especially in our central/mid waist region which can lead to weight gain.  Excessive amounts of cortisol will eventually inhibit antibody production. This can make our bodies less effective at fighting infections and will also negatively affect the thyroid by suppressing thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).  If the production of thyroid hormones are not regulated by TSH, this can cause hypo-thyroidism; a topic that will discussed at a later date.

Stress leads to Adrenal Fatigue

As discussed, most Americans live in a constant state of stress, leading to a prolonged production and release of cortisol which is considered the early stage of adrenal fatigue.  This, in turn, decreases the amount of DHEA, a hormone released from adrenal glands that is necessary for balancing out cortisol levels.  In the state of needing more cortisol, essential hormones are directed away from DHEA production and are constantly making cortisol thus decreasing DHEA levels. DHEA is a necessity because it protects the body from the negative effects of cortisol by preventing excessive systemic inflammation and protecting our neurological machinery.  Low levels of DHEA have been associated with chronic inflammatory diseases, mood disorders and chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia.

Cortisol Receptors on Every Cell

Cortisol plays a vital role in everyday life. Cortisol affects the heart, blood pressure, water excretion and electrolyte balance, and also stimulates our natural stress response.  However, too much of this can be detrimental to our health.  We need to focus on finding a routine that will decrease our daily stressors and find ways to release the constant state of stress from our lives.  In many situations, additional supplementation is necessary to achieve the desired levels.  If you are interested in having your cortisol and other hormone levels checked, PharmaCare has everything you need to test and achieve normal levels and promote good adrenal health.

By: Julie Lindsay Pharm.D.Candidate 2016

About the Author:

Julie is a 4th year pharmacy student at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). She is expected to graduate in May 2016 as a Doctor of Pharmacy. She will be an Integrative Pharmacologist and Compounding Pharmacist for PharmaCare Compounding Pharmacy located in Tallmadge, Ohio.

Reference:

Physician Road Map. (Third edition). Woodstock, IL. Ortho Molecular Products.

BioHealth Diagnostics. Dr. William Timmins

Guiliams, TG and Edwards, L. Chronic Stress and the HPA Axis: Clinical Assessment and Therapeutic Considerations. The Standard. 2010; 9 (2). http://www.pointinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/standard_v_9.2_hpa_axis.pdf

Image: http://aspirefitness.ca/2015/03/28/stress-and-fatigue-adrenal-fatigue/