The main Stress hormone Which modify the physical and mental functioning is cortisol. On the other hand, there is After hormones such as glucagon, prolactin, reproductive hormones such as Estrogen , the progesterone and the Testosterone , And hormones Related to growth, which are also modified during stress states.
Stress is a feeling of physical or emotional stress that can come from any situation or thought that causes feelings of anxiety, Nervousness or frustration.
When a person suffers from stress, he not only experiences psychological changes, but also undergoes a series of physical alterations and changes.
In this article we will talk about how these physical changes are made and explain the Stress hormones .
What is Stress?
Stress Is considered a state of tension and anxiety over time, which causes a series of alterations and a feeling of discomfort in the Person who suffers.
In this way, Bruce McEwen defined in the year 2000 the stress as a real threat or supposed to the physiological or psychological integrity of an individual who Results in a physical or behavioral response.
On the other hand, in medicine the stress is referred like a situation in which the levels of Glucocorticoids Y Catecholamines In circulation they rise.
So, with the first approximations to the term stress, we see two things clear:
On the one hand, stress is an alteration of psychological origin that causes a series of modifications in the physical functioning of the body.
In stress is involved the activity of different hormones, which cause the body changes in a direct way.
To understand well the effects of stress, we have to take into account that when we suffer these states, our body suffers a lack of harmony in the Homeostasis .
Thus, homeostasis is a basic concept for understanding stress and its hormonal implication.
This concept refers to the idea that the body has an ideal level of oxygen in blood, acidity and body temperature.
In this way, these physical variables are maintained is an optimal state through homeostasis, which allows the correct physiological functioning Of our body.
However, when a stressor appears, that is, an external world element that can destabilize us, our body moves away from the balance Homeostatic and the variables of our body can be modified.
Thus, in the face of the threat of aggression, our body modifies the homeostatic balance, and increases blood supply, frequency Heart, muscle tension or sweating among others.
But beware, this change does not in itself constitute a Stress state , As our body is activated more than normal in an emergency to be Capable of responding more quickly and effectively.
If our body has more stressed muscles, sweat more easily and we have a higher heart rate, we will be more prepared To perform a rapid behavioral response than if our body is in a relaxed state.
In this way, the stress appears when the alteration of the homeostatic balance and the corporal changes take place of chronic form, that is to say, we have them Always and not only in specific situations that motivate the activation of the body.
If you suffer stress you will know well what I mean, since you will notice your body activated and unpleasant physical sensations at all times.
So when we are stressed, our body is at all times as activated as if we were responding to a limit situation.
In addition, the high activation that our body undergoes to the state of stress, causes many physical alterations, which make us more prone to To get sick
This is because, as we have said, our body ceases to function through a homeostatic state, and our heart rate levels, Blood flow, muscle tension, etc. Are altered.
And to a great extent, those responsible for these changes are the hormones we release when we are stressed.
Hormones are chemicals that are released by Our brain Towards the whole body. The alteration of the functioning of these substances Which are distributed across many bodily regions, immediately causes a series of physical changes.
Next we will review what hormones are altered in the stress state, how they work and what harmful effect they can cause on our body.
Stress and autonomic nervous system
Before reviewing the hormones, it should be noted that the stress response has a lot to do with The autonomic nervous system .
Thus, in stress states, a part of this system is activated (the Sympathetic nervous system ) And one is inhibited ( Parasympathetic system ).
The sympathetic nervous system is activated during the time our brain considers an emergency (in cases of stress continuously). his Activation increases alertness, motivation and general activation.
Also, this system activates Adrenal glands of the spinal cord , Which are responsible for releasing the stress hormones from which We will talk next.
The other half of the system, the parasympathetic nervous system, is inhibited. This system performs vegetative functions that promote growth and Energy storage, so when the system is inhibited, these functions are no longer performed and may be compromised.
Stress and hormonal changes
The stress response has as main component the neuroendocrine system, and especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of this system.
As we have said, in the face of stressful events (or interpreted as stressful) the sympathetic nervous system is activated, which immediately Activation of the adrenal glands of the neuroendocrine system we are discussing.
This activation stimulates the release of vasopressin in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The presence of these substances stimulates the pituitary to release another hormone, corticotropin to the general circulation of the body.
In turn, corticotropin acts on the cortex of the adrenal glands inducing the synthesis and release of glucocorticoids, in particular Cortisol.
Thus, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis can be understood as a structure that, in the presence of a stressful event, produces a cascade of Hormones which concludes with a greater release of glucocorticoids in the body.
Thus, the main stress hormone that modifies body functioning is cortisol
However, other hormones such as glucagon, prolactin, reproductive hormones such as Estrogen , the progesterone and the Testosterone , And hormones Related to growth, are also modified during stress states.
The main stress hormones
1. Cortisol
He Cortisol Is considered the stress hormone par excellence as the body manufactures it in emergency situations to help us deal with To the problems and to be able to realize a fast and effective answer.
In this way, when we are stressed the release of cortisol is triggered.
In normal situations (without stress) the cells of our body use 90% of the energy in metabolic activities like repair, renewal or Formation of new tissues.
However, as we mentioned earlier, in situations of stress, our brain sends messages to the adrenal glands so that these Release larger amounts of cortisol.
This hormone, is responsible for releasing glucose into the blood to send greater amounts of energy to the muscles (to better activate our Tissues), thus, when we are stressed we perform a greater release of glucose through cortisol.
And what does this translate? As we have been commenting, in specific stressful situations, this fact does not have negative effects on our Body, since once the emergency is over, hormone levels return to normal.
However, when we have stress on a regular basis, cortisol levels shoot continuously, so we spend a lot of energy to release glucose To the blood, and the functions of recovery, renovation and creation of new tissues are paralyzed.
This way, the stress can have a negative effect on our health, since we will have a hormonal deregulation.
The first symptoms of having high levels of cortisol during a prologando time are lack of sense of humor, irritability, Feelings of go to , Permanent tiredness, Headaches , Palpitations, hypertension, lack of appetite, digestive problems, and muscle aches or cramps.
2. Glucagon
He Glucagon Is a hormone that acts on the metabolism of carbohydrates and is synthesized by the cells of the pancreas.
Its main function is to allow the liver to release the glucose it has stored when our body has low levels of this substance And needs a greater amount to function properly.
In fact, the role of glucagon could be considered to be contrary to insulin . While insulin decreases glucose levels too high, insulin Glucagon increases them when they are too low.
When we have stress, our pancreas releases larger amounts of glucagon to provide more energy to our body, so it deregulates Our hormonal functioning, being especially dangerous for those people who suffer from diabetes .
3. Prolactin
The Prolactin Is a hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland of the brain that is responsible for performing the stimulation of milk secretion Of women during the lactation period.
Thus, when a woman is in the lactation period, she is able to produce milk through the release of being hormone.
However, in these cases, experiencing periods of high stress can lead to Hyperprolactinemia .
Hyperprolactinemia consists of an increase in prolactin in the blood that immediately causes an inhibition of the production of the hormone Hypothalamic, which is responsible for synthesizing estrogens, through different mechanisms.
Thus, by increasing prolactin levels, the hormone synthesizing female sex hormones is inhibited, which causes a lack of Ovulation, decreased estrogen and consequent menstrual periods such as lack of menstruation.
Thus, through prolactin, elevated levels of stress can cause dysregulation of sexual functioning in women and alter the menstrual cycle.
4. Sex hormones
With stress, the functioning of three sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone is also altered.
A. Estrogens
Estrogen receptor alpha
As we have seen previously, stress decreases the synthesis of estrogens, which can alter the sexual functioning of women.
However, the relationship between estrogen and Stress Is bi-directional, that is, stress can reduce the creation of estrogens but, in turn, Estrogen may be a stress-relieving hormone.
This fact was demonstrated by the psychologist of the Princeton University Tracey Shors, who performed an experiment with a total of 44 rats and checked Their stress response between female rats without any modification and female rats to which the ovaries had been extracted.
B. Progesterone
The progesterone Is a hormone synthesized in the ovaries which, among other things, regulates the menstrual cycle of women and controls the Effects of estrogens so that they do not exceed their stimulation of cell growth.
Experiencing stress for long periods of time can decrease the production of this hormone, producing a progesterone imbalance that Can cause various symptoms such as decreased sexual desire, excessive tiredness, weight gain, headache or humor changes .
C. Testosterone
For its part, the Testosterone Is the male sex hormone, which allows the growth of male reproductive tissue. It also allows the Growth of secondary sexual characteristics such as facial and body hair or sexual erections.
When a person is stressed on a regular basis, testosterone levels decrease, as the body chooses to invest its energy in production Of other hormones such as cortisol.
In this way, stress becomes one of the main causes of sexual problems such as impotence, erectile dysfunction Or lack of desire sexual.
Also, lowering levels of this hormone may also produce other symptoms such as frequent mood swings, feelings of fatigue Constant and inability to sleep and rest properly.
Thus, we see how stress is a phenomenon that is closely linked to the hormonal functioning of people, so that being Subjected to stressful periods of permanent form can bring serious alterations as much psychological as physiological.
References
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Axelrod, J. and Reisine, T. D. (1984). Stress hormones: Their interaction and regulation. Science, 224, 452-459.
Claes, S.J. (2004). CRH, Stress, and Major Depression: A Psychobiological Interplay. Vitamins & Hormones (69): 117-150.
Davidson, R. (2002). Anxiety and affective style: role of prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Biological Psychiatry (51, 1): 68-80.
McEwen, Bruce S. T. (2000). The neurobiology of stress: from serendipity to clinical relevance. Brain Research, (886, 1-2), 172-189.