Nearly everyone agrees that chronic stress is not merely unpleasant, it can make you unwell. From trouble sleeping to difficulty losing weight, chronic stress is a contributing factor in many hormonal imbalance conditions that negatively affect our health.
Impact of Chronic Stress
Stress, like many things, is harmless—even beneficial—in moderation. When under stress, our adrenal glands release a surge of hormones which help us deal with a perceived threat. Adrenaline and cortisol, along with lesser concentrations of certain other hormones, raise our blood glucose levels, heart rate and blood pressure.
Under normal circumstances, the body’s hormone levels return to normal when the stressful situation passes. However, in the modern world, we sometimes feel as though we’re under constant attack. This prevents cortisol and adrenaline levels from returning to normal naturally.
Cortisol and other stress hormones slow digestion and suppress immune response. While this won’t cause ill effects on a short-term basis, chronic stress can mean that our body’s processes are continuously disrupted.
How Hormone Therapy Can Help
Our bodies’ endocrine system uses hormones to regulate metabolic processes. In fact, hormones sometimes signal the body to reduce levels of other hormones, as part of the metabolic cycle. When stress hormones suppress the release of other hormones, treatment with bioidentical hormone supplements can restore balance and break the cycle, preventing further stress from within.