Stress Hormone

Endocrine glands secrete stress hormones to alter the internal milieu of the body during times of stress. Stress hormones aid in the organism’s survival by mobilising energy sources, raising heart rate, and downregulating metabolic processes that are not immediately required. Certain hormones are also suppressed during times of stress.

Stress Hormones are

• Cortisol, the main human stress hormone
• Catecholamines such as adrenaline and norepinephrine
• Vasopressin
• Growth hormone

Stress is defined as a condition of disrupted homeostasis following jeopardy that stimulates multiple adaptive mechanisms, which are summarised as the stress response. In the event of mental stress, the adaptive reaction follows the impression of jeopardy. Different peptides, steroids, and biogenic amines operate the stress response within the brain and also after they have been discharged into circulation. We focus in this review on the biological roles of corticosteroids, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and arginine vasopressin (AVP), and we analyse the effects of treatments directed against the actions of these hormones. CRH and AVP are the fundamental drivers of the stress hormone system, but they also serve as neuromodulators in the brain, impacting higher mental functions including emotion, cognition, and behaviour. 

Impact of stress on body’s function

When released toward the pituitary, these central neuropeptides stimulate corticotropin into the periphery, which activates corticosteroid release from the adrenal cortex. These stress hormones are needed for the adequate response to stress, but they can also provoke serious clinical disorders once continuously hypersecreted. Depression and anxiety disorders are notable instances of stress-related disorders associated with poor control of stress hormones. We describe the effects of pharmaceuticals acting at specific targets of the stress hormone axis, and we address their prospective usage as next-generation antidepressant therapies. Such treatments need the identification of patients that will optimally benefit from such precise interventions. These could be a first step into customised medicine using treatments suited to the individual pathology of the patients.

Stress hormones have a genetic effect on numerous elements of brain function. Profiling stress-responsive gene patterns can be valuable for generating new functional hypotheses in order to understand the molecular mechanisms behind these stress hormone-mediated effects. Numerous biological models in combination with diverse gene expression profiling methodologies have demonstrated that glucocorticoids affect a large number of cellular signalling pathways. Currently, the emphasis is turning toward functional validation of potentially interesting candidate genes. Additionally, because the currently utilised methodology for expression profiling has a number of limitations, technical refinement is required and is actively being developed.

If you’ve been stressed for an extended period of time, you may experience any of the following bodily symptoms:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Sleeping difficulties 
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability due to upset stomach

When stress becomes chronic and is not managed appropriately, it can result in a number of more significant health problems, including:

• Depression
• Hypertension
• Heartbeat abnormal (arrhythmia)
• Atherosclerosis of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Cardiovascular disease
• Acute coronary syndrome
• Irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, ulcers
• Constipation, cramps, and diarrhoea are all symptoms of an upset stomach.
• Gain or loss of weight

Stress’s Negative Effects on Health

The human body is intended to respond to stress in protective ways against predators and other aggressors. Stressors in today’s culture take on a more subtle but dangerous form, such as shouldering a hard workload, providing for a family, and caring for youngsters or elderly relatives. Any perceived stressor is interpreted as a danger by the human body.

When the body perceives a threat (e.g., a near-miss accident, frightening news, or a difficult task), the hypothalamus, a small region at the base of the brain, initiates the “fight-or-flight response” – a series of nerve and hormonal impulses. This system stimulates the adrenal glands, which are positioned above the kidneys, to release a flood of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Conclusion

Our health suffers when stress becomes chronic and homeostasis is interrupted for an extended period of time, stressing the body’s adaptive mechanisms. Adrenaline speeds up your heart rate, raises your blood pressure, and enhances your energy supply. Cortisol, the principal stress hormone, raises blood sugar levels (glucose), improves the brain’s utilisation of glucose, and increases the availability of chemicals that repair tissues.

When stress gets severe, it generates tension, and you may find yourself unable to deal with current conditions and, at times, impossible to return to a calm state in the absence of the stressor. Whereas positive stress centres provide growth, negative stress inhibits productivity and innovation.