How Stress Ties Into All Disease

Cortisol aka, the "Silent Killer", is the 'active' ingredient toping the stress-related category of factors leading to disease. Interestingly, our body produces cortisol instinctually, as a biologicial response to stress!

Wikipedia says Cortisol (hydrocortisone) is a steroid hormone, or glucocorticoid, produced by the adrenal gland. It is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids.

Going back to our Microbiology and Physiology 101, we connect the fact that the adrenal glands are in charge of many functions and among them are the "Fight or Flight" chemical hormones. These body-produced chemicals can be hazardous to our health when constantly triggered from stress.

Cortisol is released in response to stress, trying to restore homeostasis. However, prolonged cortisol secretion (which may be due to chronic stress or the excessive secretion seen in Cushing's syndrome) results in significant physiological changes.

Among these changes are:
•increasing blood sugar
•decreasing bone formation
•suppressing the immune system
•aiding in fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism (digesting and utilizing)

Signs of stress and activated adrenals are; sweating, heart palpitations, muscles tensing, and hearing sharpening. There is a heightened level of alert, but only to the threat or issue at hand.

Over time the symptoms may include headaches, insomnia, depression, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, and a larger list of health factors that can be directly assoicated with diseases like Lyme and Morgellons.

More facts about Stress:
•slows down healing and normal cell regeneration
•co-opts biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones
•impairs digestion, metabolism and mental function
•interferes with healthy endocrine function and causes hormonal imbalances
•weakens our immune system

Adrenal fatigue is being considered the underlying factor to many diseases (not just stress related diseases), including fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, and more. It can also be associated with a host of unpleasant signs and symptoms, from acne, skin disorders, and hair loss.

Back to what is happening in our body...the nervous system floods the body with adrenaline (scientists often refer to this as epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Meanwhile, the adrenal-cortical system (which produces these hormones) becomes activated by way of the pituitary gland.

The pituitary gland secretes a hormone known as ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). ACTH stimulates our adrenal cortex, where small organs will pump out as many as 30 different hormones to address the stressful situation at hand.

The immune system temporarily shuts down so our body can utilize all its resources to deal with the perceived threat.

Again, as this continues happening over our life time, our system begins aging prematurely as well as gaining weight, further effecting our vitality, our ability to re-build cellular tissue, and our overall balanced wellness.

Now let's introduce pharmaceutical grade cortisol.
Most of us are totally familiar with the name hydrocortisone as a shot or prescription cream you may get from your doctor. Most notably it is used to treat a variety of skin conditions including the Morgellons syndrome.

Here is just one list of potential side effects from corticosteroids:

•water and salt retention leading to swelling and edema
•high blood pressure
•diabetes
•black and blue marks
•slowed healing of wounds
•osteoporosis
•cataracts
•acne
•muscle weakness
•thinning of the skin
•increased susceptibility to infection
•stomach ulcers
•increased sweating
•mood swings
•psychological problems such as depression
•adrenal suppression and crisis

With this in mind, and by studying the already tracked research on how these hormone/chemicals effect us, we can make more informed decisions about taking certain prescription medicines our doctor may recommend.

The fact that these laboratory synthesized chemical steroids are going to effect our adrenal and endocrine systems similarly, we may indeed be causing more harm.

The next time your primary care physician offers a free sample and/or prescription for a drug of this cortico-steroid nature, do some research and read carefully the list of side effects that will probably include skin rashes, lack of mental acquity, and hair loss...just to name a few.

Various synthetic forms of cortisol and corticosteroids are used to treat a variety of different diseases.

Understanding how adding many types of medication can lead to a whole new array of complications and complaints may help us to stop the downward cycle of health our entire country is experiencing.

Please be sure you take counsel with your primary care giver before stopping any prescriptive medications.

It can be just as hazardous to your health to simply stop taking a chemical compound your body has become dependent on, without full understanding how the organ functions tied to the medication may be affected.

As always, the team at the Healing Grapevine recommends consulting a professional health care giver for safely returning to a healthy, properly functioning 'whole being' while implementing a detox and recover program.