Cortisol – the primary stress hormone

Stress is a major contributing factor to the number one leading cause of death in the United States,
and
nine of the top ten.

#1 – coronary heart disease
#2 – cancer
#3 – accidental injuries
#4 – respiratory diseases
#5 – stroke
#6 – Alzheimer’s disease
#7 – diabetes
#8 – Influenza and pneumonia
#9 – kidney disease
#10 – suicide

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/

There are three major stress hormones. All are produced when our body is subjected to a perceived survival threat. In a well regulated body, none of them are evil.

Adrenaline – This is the fast acting survival hormone. It will allow for faster breathing with more oxygen being delivered to the muscles. It will redirect blood from non essential areas, like the skin, to critical areas such as major muscles, the heart and the lungs. It will heighten awareness and focus attention, sometimes to the degree of tunnel vision. It will decrease the sensation of pain. Adrenaline levels will subside in a few minutes to an hour.

Norepinephrine – This hormone is very similar to adrenaline. It is slightly smaller, lacking the carbon and three hydrogen on the right side of the upper diagram.

The body produces norepinephrine all the time, but the levels are highest during situations of perceived threat. It will increase heart rate, blood pressure and blood flow to critical muscles while releasing extra glucose to power increased muscular action. It degrades quickly, typically within a few hours.

Cortisol – This is the body’s natural steroid hormone. When used as a prescribed anti-inflammatory drug, it is called hydrocortisone.

The body produces cortisol all the time. The normal levels are highest in early morning and lowest between midnight and 4 AM. During a stress event, these levels are increased, providing a glucose boost to the muscles, a lowering of insulin production and a narrowing of the arteries.

Working with adrenaline, cortisol is associated with forming memories of brief, stressful events. It has been suggested that this is a survival learning response. It may be our body’s way of warning that the stressful event is not beneficial and, in the future, should be avoided.

Prolonged Stress

When the stress threat is over, the body will naturally relax and all three stress hormones will return to normal levels. This resetting can take a few hours to a few days, with many external environmental and internal physiological factors influencing the process.

However, when the stress continues day after day, the body does not have time to reset. Even low levels of stress can be sufficient for the body to stay in a constant state of readiness with an elevated level of cortisol. A common example of daily stress…working the late shift.

https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/96/11/E1862/2833966

The documented consequences for prolonged stress are…

– elevated blood pressure
– elevated cholesterol
– weight gain
– insomnia
– decreased immune function
– decreased physiological/psychological resiliency
– depression

Homeostasis

This is Walter Bradford Cannon, chairman of the Department of Physiology at Harvard Medical School. During the 1920’s, he popularized several terms; “fight or flight”, which is the biological response to a threatening situation and “homeostasis”.

Homeostasis is what the body is always seeking to maintain, the state of dynamic biological equilibrium. In this condition, all of the biological variables are in balance. It is dynamic, because the variables are constantly working together and adjusting, to stay within optimal limits. In this state of internal stability, the body functions the best. It does not happen by chance, it is the result of constant biological self regulation. It is common in all forms of life.

The Relaxation Response

When the dangerous threat has passed, the healthy body will settle back to normal levels. The heart rate slows, breathing slows, blood pressure lowers, digestion resumes and the body relaxes.

When multiple low intensity stress events occur during the day, the body does not have time to automatically reset back to normal levels. When this becomes the daily routine, it is necessary to switch over to manual control. Fortunately, it is possible to trigger the body’s relaxation response.

There are a number of actions that can be taken that will bring the body back into the normal range. These actions fall into two categories. First is lifestyle. This is just common, healthy living. The second is active regulation.

The Resilient Lifestyle

This is sometimes referred to as “resiliency training”. In fact, it’s nothing more than living a healthy life. Each one of these factors deserves some description, but for now, here is the (partial) list.

– sleep
– nutrition
– exercise
– activities
– socialization
– family

The limitation of “resiliency” is that stress is corrosive and will eat away at every one of these factors. A good night’s sleep is often the first thing to go. Fast food, junk food, inactivity, isolation and depression will often triumph over resiliency.

Relaxation – Active Control

All of these activities are physical. They all require willful control of the mind and body. They are all related and can be practiced separately or together. When taken to an advanced level with an experienced instructor, they are all a form of mind discipline meditation.

– breath training
– progressive muscle relaxation
– yoga
– meditation

These disciplines can be practiced with little more than willful intent. They are simple and effective. They are used by professional athletes, professional military and grandmothers.

Practice and enjoy.

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