MY STRESS HORMONES ARE KILLING ME

STRESS HORMONES

Today, everything seems to be stressful. We’ve just gotten through the 15-month lockdown that left us experiencing collective trauma. Things are open. At last. But there are jobs lost, new rules of doing business, new rules of dating, new rules of living, actually. Masks are off. But will they stay there? Do we shake hands yet? Can we hug strangers? 2 in 3 adults say that the number of issues we’re facing is overwhelming to them. Wired, keyed up, agitated…it can really take a bite out of your health. But thankfully we have stress hormones.

THE SABRE-TOOTHED TIGER EFFECT

Before we go any further, let’s debunk one myth; stress is not necessarily always a bad thing. Without our body’s brilliant ability to feel stress, humankind wouldn’t have survived. Just ask our cavemen ancestors. Stress was what alerted them to potential dangers like the long terrifying canines of a ferocious saber-tooth tiger. When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals to prepare the body for physical action. Through the release of these hormones, caveman gained a rush of energy, which prepared him to either fight the tiger or run away. If he just froze, he’d become a great dinner. We haven’t had to face these beasts in, oh, 10,000 years or so, but even encountering a large Pitbull barking at you on your morning run can set the stress response off just as much.

AND ON AND ON AND ON IT GOES…

There are two types of stress; acute, and chronic.  Acute stress is one of the least damaging types of stress, which is good because it is also the most common type. We experience acute stress multiple times throughout the day. Acute stress is experienced as an immediate perceived threat, either physical, emotional, or psychological. These threats don’t even need to be intensely threatening—you’ve lost your phone, you’ve fought with your partner, you’ve felt restrained road rage during killer traffic jams. Which are back again post-Covid. Chronic stress occurs when the body experiences stressors with such frequency or intensity that the autonomic nervous system does not have an adequate chance to activate the relaxation response on a regular basis. This means that the body remains in a constant state of physiological arousal. Trouble is, we just weren’t built to maintain high levels of stress for any prolonged time. This affects virtually every system in the body, either directly or indirectly.

HIGH STRUNG STRESS HORMONES

Remember that cocktail of hormones we spoke of that are part of the stress response? Cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and insulin are all work together to prepare you for stressful situations. They raise your heart rate, blood pressure, and energy supplies so that you become more awake, focused, and generally more responsive. They also help shift blood flow away from areas where it might not be so crucial, like the skin, and toward more essential areas at the time, like the muscles, so you can flee the stressful scene. If one hormone doesn’t have your back, another does.

IF THIS DOESN’T STRESS YOU OUT, WHAT WILL?

There is absolutely nothing good about chronic stress. Nothing. Just look at all it can lead to:

  • Weakened immune system
  • Raised blood pressure
  • Digestive issues
  • Food cravings and weight gain
  • Sleep apnea
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Cognitive and memory problems
  • Accelerated aging process
  • Skin conditions such as eczema
  • Heart disease
  • Yikes!

FROM DISTRESS TO DE-STRESS

When it comes to stress tolerance, we’re all different. Some people seem to be able to roll with life’s punches…” I’ve got this”, “no biggie”, “things could be worse”, “someday I’ll laugh about all this”. Other people crumble. Their stress hormones are in a constant misfire, and no amount of “think positively, take deep breaths, smell a rose or try goat yoga”, is going to help. The help they need is balancing their hormones. And the best place to do that is at Denver Hormone Health. Denver Hormone Health has years of advanced training and experience in treating people of all ages for hormones imbalances that could happen for any number of reasons. Like stress. DHH knows all too well the stressors that could be in your everyday life, and you can feel comfortable discussing it all with their caring experts. Even though the country is finally opening up, Covid and the stress of the last 15 months could still be with you. Causing you stress on top of any other stress that could be dragging your health down. Start feeling the best you’ve felt in a long time. Call Denver Hormone Health for an appointment now.

ADRENAL FATIGUE; LET’S PLAY 21 QUESTIONS

Some have questioned if adrenal fatigue is actually a real disease. It’s not. What it is, is a medical disorder or syndrome. The term “adrenal fatigue” has been used to explain a group of symptoms that are said to occur in people who are under long-term mental, emotional, or physical stress. It is said to occur when the adrenal glands have become overtaxed by excess cortisol release that is a result of intense stress and can no longer produce levels of cortisol necessary for optimal body function.

  1. HAVE WE EVER BEEN MORE STRESSED?

One year. A year that locked us down and left us from enjoying life as we were used to. Lives where kids couldn’t go to school, businesses had to close their doors and millions of people ended up on unemployment. We worried about everything. From getting COVID to getting our sourdough yeast to rise. We tried to figure out Zoom and worried we would never be able to wiggle out of our sweats into our jeans. You get the idea. Every day became like Groundhog Day This kind of chronic stress can wreak havoc on your body and your mind. It all starts with your adrenal glands.

  1. WHAT DO ADRENAL GLANDS ACTUALLY DO?

Adrenal glands are small triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys that produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, and other functions including response to stress. High levels of continuous stress cause the adrenal glands to produce the hormone cortisol.

  1. WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT CORTISOL?

Cortisol is one of what are often called our stress hormones. Along with adrenaline and norepinephrine, they are responsible for the “fight or flight” response that happens in dangerous or stressful situations. It is the body’s way of helping to protect itself from harm. When stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The long-term activation of the stress-response system and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones that follow can disrupt almost all your body’s processes.

  1. COULD IT GET ANY MORE REAL THAN THIS?

It’s bizarre how illnesses and conditions today are dependent on the health insurance code attributed to it. If you see a doctor and insurance rejects his diagnosis, they will just look for a different code. What the doctor determined was wrong with you takes a back seat. Adrenal fatigue is one of those conditions. But does no code mean no illness? Ask anyone who has suffered through its symptoms. And there are many. More than 60% of the population. Just note that you don’t have to have all the symptoms to have adrenal fatigue. The ones listed below are just examples.

  1. CAN’T KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND CRASHING THROUGH THE DAY?

Extreme fatigue and low energy are the most common things people experience.

  1. DON’T HAVE THE ENERGY EVEN TO THROW THE ALARM OUT THE WINDOW?

You could have a dreamy night of sleep, but no matter how many hours you get, you need more. Getting up in the morning? Forget it. Especially getting up and going.

  1. COUNTING SHEEP? OR GOATS? OR HENS OR WHATEVER YOU COUNT?

While it is important that you get your zzz’s, some people can’t even make it to ttt’s. Insomnia can stress you out on its own.

  1. ALL DAY CRAVINGS DRIVING YOU CRAZY?

We’re not talking about the pandemic penchant for snacking. We’re talking non-stop cravings for salt.  And when it’s not something with enough sodium to give an elephant water retention, it’s enough sweet stuff to make dentists ecstatic.

  1. HATE THE DRY SKIN YOUR’E IN?

When we’re stuck indoors a lot, we have a lot of time to look at ourselves in the mirror. Not to mention a lot of time to Insta “How to have more beautiful skin”. But adrenal fatigue can cause your face to go into oasis mode. Peeling is one of the perils.

  1. ACHY BREAKY ALL OVER?

Are we moving enough? Probably not. But with adrenal fatigue, you can feel the kind of body aches and soreness of someone who has Tik Tok danced with Olympian intensity.

  1. SWEATPANTS STRETCHING A BIT MUCH?

And we’re not just talking from lockdown largess caused by excess hours in the fridge and pantry.

  1. PEEING REPEATEDLY?

No, it’s probably not a bladder infection. Frequent urination is a symptom of adrenal fatigue.

  1. SEX DRIVE TAKING A NOSEDIVE?

There are many things such as low testosterone that can cause low libido making sex the last thing on your mind. (Yes, that can happen and no one in the world wants that?) But it’s important to rule out the real cause. And yes, it could be adrenal fatigue.

  1. JUST HOW STRONG IS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM?

A weakened immune system can also be the result of many conditions. But if ever you wanted yours to be tough, it’s now. And adrenal fatigue can cause it to be less than you’d like it to be.

  1. GROUCHY, GRUMPY, CRANKY, SNAPPY?

Irritability. Mood swings. Yep, you got it.

  1. THINK YOU’RE THE ONLY ANXIOUS ONE OUT THERE?

We’ve all been living with fear and frustration as constant roommates, feeling things may never be the same. With adrenal fatigue, those feelings can last even afterlife is open for business again.

  1. END OF YOUR ROPE?

Constant anxiety can easily cause depression in anyone. When the adrenal glands aren’t functioning as a result of too much stress, it can only pile it on, with depression looming large. But depression needs a proper diagnosis. Adrenal fatigue?

  1. WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON HERE?

Exactly the point. As we’ve said, many of these symptoms can be attributed to other illnesses and conditions, and ruling things out is a key element of any true diagnosis. Practitioners who treat adrenal fatigue take into account the expansive function of the adrenal glands and the range of deficiencies that may occur when they aren’t functioning optimally. Without question, they have a very profound effect on the entire body. While the adrenal glands are the first to respond to stress, they are also the first to suffer as a result of stress. It takes a highly educated hormone professional experienced in treating adrenal fatigue, to understand its complexities.

  1. COULD ANYONE KNOW MORE ABOUT ADRENAL FATIGUE THAN DENVER HORMONE HEALTH?

No, that would be a good answer. The experts at Denver Hormone Health don’t just do one thing, they do everything. And Denver Hormone Health knows everything about the hundreds of your different hormones and the effects they can have on your overall health. And your overall health is what everyone at Denver Hormone Health cares about most. Because they care about you. They don’t just want you to feel better, they want you to feel your best. Could you be suffering from adrenal fatigue? There’s only one way to find out. And Denver Hormone Health is the best.

  1. SHOULD YOU CALL DENVER HORMONE HEALTH FOR AN APPOINTMENT NOW?
  2. DO YOU NEED TO ASK?

HAPPY YOU YEAR

IT’S JANUARY, AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE I PUT MY RESOLUTIONS

Happens every year. Good intentions fill the air around the globe. Lists are made. But memes and jokes glut the Internet:

“My goal for 2021 is to accomplish the goals of 2020 which I should have done in 2019 because I promised them in 2018.”

You laugh. But not for long. Studies have shown that less than 25% of people actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them. But you don’t have to be part of the statistic.

THESE DON’T COUNT

  • Dear me…this year I will:
  • Stop mispronouncing Kamala and Chipotle
  • Try to come up with passwords more creative than “password”
  • Stop leaving Eggo boxes under the bed
  • Never use “it is what it is” when it comes to sex
  • Get my whites whiter

Again, more funny. But funny on January 1st, can only take you as far as January 2nd. OK, maybe 3rd.

IT’S HARD TO MAKE GOOD RESOLUTIONS WHEN THINGS SEEM SO BAD

It’s a daunting task to sit down and make some serious resolutions considering the stress of 2020 that made the ball coming down at midnight feel like it came down on your head. Life has taken a toll on your whole body. Stress off the charts. Less exercise. More eating. You can’t sleep, you ache all over. The only thing you can’t seem to do is social distance from is depression.

HOW HORMONES CAN HELP YOU KEEP SOME HEALTHY RESOLUTIONS

To say you don’t feel your best is an understatement. But consider this; a lot of what you’re feeling could be due to unbalanced hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers freestyling it through your bloodstream, messing up how you feel at whim. Unbalanced hormones can affect all your most important resolutions:

LOSE WEIGHT

Hormone imbalances can program you to put on the pounds. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone imbalances can lead to weight gain in the hips, thighs, and bottom. An imbalance of cortisol stress hormones is another roadblock to losing weight, with high levels fueling appetite, sugar cravings, and the accumulation of belly fat. Low thyroid hormones and/or deficiencies of elements like selenium or iodine crucial to active thyroid conversion can also slow metabolism, making it easy to gain weight and harder to lose.

SLEEP BETTER

To sleep, perchance to dream; this too is a hormone matter. We need at least 6-7 hours of contented sleep. Consistently. Balanced levels of melatonin in tandem with cortisol regulate the rhythms of sleep and waking. A well-rested mind and body provide the inner calm and tranquility needed to help us deal with all that life might throw at us. And this year, Covid is playing hardball. 

GET ORGANIZED

Hormone imbalances can run interference on getting your house in order. If, for example, you have low testosterone it can be tough to think straight. Out-of-whack cortisol levels can make us unfocused and easily distracted, while estrogen lows are linked with foggy thinking and difficulty finding anything but your secret stash of assorted flavor Pringles. 

STAY FIT AND HEALTHY

Hormone fitness is a must. That means that all the hormones in our body need to be in the right proportions with one another: estrogens, androgens, adrenals, and thyroid hormones work closely together to protect the health of our heart, brain, and nervous system, muscles, and bones, skin and hair.

YOU CAN DO IT. YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY DO IT

It’s all possible with the help of your hormones and Denver Hormone Health.

Denver Hormone Health is all about everything “hormones”. They understand the delicate balance your hormones need to be in to help you be your best. The professionals at DHH take the time to really talk with you about what’s been bugging you and what could be the health consequences of your hormones feeling bugged. With simple tests, they can get the whole picture. This helps them create a treatment plan that’s uniquely tailored to your needs. While looking for toilet paper and cleaning supplies has become the new Gold Rush, the rush should be getting your hormones balanced. Resolve to make an appointment at Denver Hormone Health now. And Happy You Year.