Question By: Stress has a profound impact on your hormones, disrupting the delicate balance that is crucial for maintaining overall health. When you experience stress, your body activates the "fight or flight" response, which is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This triggers the release of cortisol, often called the stress hormone, from your adrenal glands.
In short bursts, cortisol is beneficial, helping you manage immediate threats. However, chronic stress keeps cortisol levels elevated, which can lead to a host of problems. High cortisol levels interfere with other hormones, such as insulin, leading to blood sugar imbalances and increasing the risk of developing conditions like diabetes. It can also affect reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone, leading to menstrual irregularities, fertility issues, and exacerbating symptoms of menopause.
Furthermore, chronic stress can disrupt thyroid function, leading to either hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), both of which can have significant impacts on your metabolism and energy levels. Stress also lowers levels of serotonin, the "feel-good" hormone, contributing to anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.
Over time, the constant strain on your hormonal system can lead to adrenal fatigue, where your adrenal glands are unable to produce adequate levels of cortisol, leaving you feeling constantly tired, overwhelmed, and more susceptible to illness.
When you’re feeling stress, the hypothalamus tells your pituitary gland to produce certain hormones, which then signals the adrenal glands to increase the levels of cortisol in your body. Click here for more information: https://thrivefunctionalwellness.com/uncategorized/how-stress-affects-your-hormones
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