What About The Physiology Of Stress?

In the body, the stress response is mediated by the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis, or the HPA-axis for short. When the body perceives stress, the HPA axis, together with the sympathetic nervous system, famous for its”fight of flight” reaction, are activated together. Although the stress response is useful and essential when dealing with short lived stressors, issues result if the perceived stress remains sustained over a time period.

Let’s start

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) tends to dominate over its counter balance, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Because of this, the person has difficulty settling down to their normal physical and psychological condition, even when the perceived anxiety is subsequently eliminated. Chiropractic care can assist in bettering sympathetic nerve function. The HPA-axis is responsible for releasing a hormone called cortisol, most commonly known as the stress hormone.

Cortisol has many diverse physiological functions which exist throughout the body, like suppressing immune function, raising blood glucose levels, and breaking down various body tissues. When the stressor is removed, cortisol levels fall and the body returns to its normal level of activity. Problems result, however, if the perceived stress isn’t removed. Unless the body has an opportunity to recover, the effects of stress hormones tend to collect and build up.

Chronic stress

It can lead to result in an over activation or an under activation of the HPA axis, depending upon the person. Over activation of the HPA axis may result in increased and sustained levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Bone mineral loss and diminished injury recovery. Additionally, individuals under stressed emotional states often have cravings for sweeter, higher fat meals and more energy dense meals. Without a corresponding increase in physical activity, these folks often experience weight gain because of this.

Alternatively, the other kind of stress response that an individual may experience is an under activation of the HPA axis. An inability to perform routine tasks. If the pressure continues unabated, the body can really experience adrenal fatigue, where the body can’t cope satisfactorily with the perceived stress. Commonly called burnout, the body’s capacity to react to any stress becomes endangered. Although eliminating anxiety form one’s life might be the most desirable objective, it’s not always practical. There are strategies that you may employ to take care of stress. Besides getting adequate levels of physical activity, restful sleep and eating a well balanced diet, supplementation with adaptogens like Prime One can be an effective strategy to help mitigate the deleterious effects of stress.