by BodyLogicMD
Exhaustion. Forgetfulness. Anxiety. Weight gain. Trouble sleeping. These are all-too common effects of a stress-filled life. Stress is a very real problem in today’s fast-paced society, one that can lead to very serious consequences. Stress itself is widely recognized as the number one proxy killer disease today—the American Medical Association has stated that stress is the basic cause of more than 60 percent of all human illness and disease.
So sit down, take a deep breath, and think—what is stress? Everyone experiences it, but how do you define something so intangible? Stress can make you fat. It can make you thin. It can make you moody. It can make you forget what you were just thinking about. It can make you crazy! So what is stress?
Stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. When you encounter a stressful stimuli, your body responds by signaling your adrenal glands to release a hormone called cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can result in an imbalance of other hormones, increased inflammation, and a greater risk of disease.
Measuring cortisol levels can be quite simple. Cortisol can be measured accurately in one of two ways: through urine or saliva testing. To receive the most comprehensive results, cortisol should be measured a minimum of four times a day to determine the baseline of where your levels are throughout the day. Cortisol is measured with a curve. For people with average stress levels, the curve is very predictable. The pattern for average stress levels consists of a higher cortisol level first thing in the morning, resulting in a gradual decline over the course of a day. Those with elevated stress levels will show a curve that doesn’t follow the typical pattern, thus resulting in symptoms like the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, anxiety/depression, decreased sex drive, brain fog, cravings for sweet and salty foods, and many more.
So where do you go from here? Many conventional medicine physicians tend to overlook adrenal production in relation to thyroid and sex hormone issues. For issues with stress, it’s best to seek out an integrative physician, or a physician who specializes in hormone health such as the physicians within the BodyLogicMD network. Treatments for overextended cortisol production, such as exercise in the morning, meditation, and adjusting and monitoring all hormone levels with bioidentical hormones and pharmacy-grade natural supplements, can drastically improve your quality of life. The body works like an orchestra in a symphony, and all parts have to be in balance for optimal health.
Life doesn’t have to be an uphill battle, so don’t make it one. Contact a physician of the BodyLogicMD network today to seek out treatment for adrenal fatigue and other stress-related issues, and terminate troublesome symptoms for good.
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