Constant worry can tell you that something is wrong with your life: you're unhappy where you are, you have a toxic environment, or you're working too much. But sometimes the causes of anxiety are purely physiological - hormonal imbalances provoke mood swings. Let's figure out how hormones and anxiety are connected and how to understand that the cause of stress is not outside, but inside your body.
What is prolactin?
Prolactin is considered a female hormone because it is produced during breastfeeding and supports the existence of the corpus luteum in the ovary.
This is a hormone produced in the anterior pituitary gland. Its formation occurs thanks to dopamine, which is produced by the nuclei of the hypothalamus. Getting into the pituitary gland through the circulatory system, it leads to blocking of prolactin. Its production is also reduced by progesterone, which appears in women after ovulation.
The substance is a single chain polypeptide. It contains 199 amino acids. There are three disulfide bridges in one molecule. Due to the heterogeneity of the molecule, assays may show different results. Prolactin receptors are found in the mammary glands of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, adrenal glands, muscle frame, skin and in some parts of the central nervous system.
The largest amount of the hormone is produced in the deep sleep phase and immediately after waking up. Over time, its quantity decreases. The stress hormone has several functions:
- participates in the formation of secondary sexual characteristics in women during development;
- suppresses the possibility of ovulation during breastfeeding;
- has an analgesic effect;
- reduces the level of other hormones;
- activates the correct immune response;
- stimulates the balance of various substances in the body.
Doctors note that all the features of the described hormone have not yet been identified. Modern research is aimed at obtaining a complete picture of it and its functions.
There are physical signs that your anxiety is caused by hormones
Hormones play an important role in our mood, motivation and overall health of various body systems. The fact that the cause of anxiety is not psychological problems, but hormonal ones, can be seen from some external signs. For example, if anxiety is accompanied by sleep disturbances, decreased libido, unusual hair growth for you (they become less frequent or, conversely, begin to appear where they were not there before). In this case, you should check the level of hormones in the body and consult a doctor.
The relationship between prolactin and stress
Against the background of physical fatigue, if psychological or mental balance is disturbed, the amount of prolactin in the blood increases sharply. In the presence of a traumatic factor, physiological changes occur. Endocrine tissues are most susceptible to various aggressors.
At the first sign of danger, the adrenal glands begin to actively work. They produce adrenaline and norepinephrine. The values of the first increase with anxiety, various states of shock, and fear. When it enters the bloodstream, it causes increased heart rate and dilated pupils. Too much exposure to adrenaline causes a decrease in the body's defenses.
Norepinephrine is released during severe stress, mainly leading to an increase in blood pressure. If adrenaline is otherwise called the “fear hormone,” then “norepinephrine” is the rage hormone.
During intense physical activity, cortisol is produced. It does not have too much of an effect on the body, but when it accumulates and is constantly exposed, a feeling of depression arises and a craving for foods high in glucose appears.
Prolactin also participates in the chain of biochemical reactions during stress. It appears not only in a state of stress, but also in depression. Against the background of its excessive increase, a metabolic disorder occurs. It is necessary to protect the body: special mechanisms are launched that allow a person to adapt to new conditions.
In small doses, stress hormones regulate a person’s condition, but in high doses they begin to cause harm. Substances have a particularly strong negative effect during chronic stress.
An increase in prolactin causes chronic fatigue and sleep disturbances.
Anxiety triggers the release of hormones and vice versa
In some ways, anxiety and hormones are like a snake eating its own tail: it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins.
Anxiety triggers a stress response mechanism that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce hormones: cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine. Excess cortisol suppresses the functioning of other hormones, including sex hormones, and their deficiency, in turn, leads to depression.
When the alarming trigger is no longer there - the person understands that he is not in danger - stress hormones continue to affect the body, provoking anxiety, depression and emotional instability. Thus, anxiety triggers the release of hormones, and the release of hormones fuels anxiety.
Consequences of increased stress hormones
Prolactin regulates the functioning of the reproductive system and affects metabolism. When stressed, there is an immediate increase in blood levels. This triggers a number of pathological processes:
- anorexia;
- polycystic ovary syndrome;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- increased cholesterol and blood pressure;
- disturbance in sleep cycles;
- thinning of the skin.
Different effects are observed in men and women. In representatives of the stronger sex, with an increased amount of stress hormone, a weakening of potency and a lack of sexual desire occur. This is due to a decrease in the production of sex hormones and sperm. There is a sharp decrease in testosterone (male hormone), intensive production of estrogen (female hormone).
If the level of prolactin has increased due to physical fatigue or excessive stress, the temporary reaction does not affect the hormonal balance. In other cases, prolonged depression, excess weight, decreased vitality, infertility and impotence are possible.
Since testosterone and prolactin depend on each other, the more prolactin in the body, the less testosterone. Accordingly, the lower the level of the male hormone, the more various problems may arise.
With a long-term increase in prolactin, not associated with breastfeeding, menstrual irregularities may occur. Sometimes this symptom is the only complaint. Additionally, you may see:
- Infertility. This is due to the fact that a woman does not ovulate, which means she does not conceive a child.
- Hyperestrogenism. There is an increased amount of estrogen. Because of this, the amount of natural lubrication released decreases and libido decreases. Against the background of long-term reactions, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and osteoporosis can develop.
- Obesity. An increase in hormones leads to increased food consumption, especially sweets. Because of this, more subcutaneous fat is formed.
- Deterioration of vision. With prolonged hyperprolactinemia, an increase in the cells of the pituitary gland occurs, which is localized next to the optic nerves. This leads to poor vision.
With prolonged stress and depression, uncontrolled production of the hormone begins, which can consequently lead to the formation of cancerous tumors.
There are periods when anxiety probably depends on hormones
There are several stages in our life when the body undergoes serious hormonal changes, and this cannot but affect the emotional state.
The first of these is adolescence. A sharp increase in the level of various hormones becomes a serious blow to the psyche and, unfortunately, not the last.
During andropause, testosterone levels decrease in men. In women during premenopause and menopause, the production of several sex hormones at once slows down - estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. During these periods, anxiety is a completely normal reaction of the body to change, although it can easily be mistaken for another age-related crisis.
Another example of a serious hormonal shift is pregnancy and the postpartum period. At such moments, hormonal anxiety is coupled with natural concern for oneself and the health of the child.
How to detect increased amounts of stress hormone?
Any doctor can recommend testing for prolactin levels. But if elevated values are detected, a consultation with an endocrinologist is prescribed. Blood may be taken several times for testing, since the increase in prolactin depends on the level of antisocial attitude and general well-being. For this reason, it is recommended to carry out diagnostics at intervals of 10 days. The optimal time is 2-3 hours after waking up. If hyperprolactinemia persists in several samples, doctors may suspect the presence of serious pathologies.
Diagnostics includes laboratory and instrumental research methods to find the cause of the increase in stress hormone.
In addition to blood tests, additional tests may be prescribed. This:
- Ultrasound,
- x-ray examination,
- MRI.
Ultrasound is more often prescribed to women to examine the mammary glands. The method confirms the presence of an increased volume of glandular tissue. In men, ultrasound can detect a decrease in the size of the testicles.
MRI can show an adenoma and some types of tumors. Neoplasms are examined using contrast agents that are administered intravenously. Additionally, an x-ray is used to identify pituitary tumors.
Thus, hardware research allows us to determine the root cause of the increase in stress hormone in the body. When examining other stress hormones, one can assume the presence of traumatic factors in life that determine the cause of the malfunction of systems and organs.
Dark side
Progesterone
All day long you think that you are already so many years old, but you have achieved nothing in life. In the evening, it also turns out that your husband has destroyed the kitchen and, as if nothing had happened, is waiting for dinner from you. After eating, he asks you if you would like to watch the news with him. At this moment you begin to cry over your ruined life, because you never watch with your husband what you want, always his stupid news, because he doesn’t value you at all and doesn’t value you at all as a person!
More precisely, a sharp drop in progesterone in the last days of the cycle. This hormone is needed to prevent uterine contractions. But at the same time, as Swedish researcher Erica Timby proved in 2011, progesterone processing products act on the brain and have a powerful sedative effect. Thanks to this, pregnant women who have a lot of progesterone become more resistant to stress that is dangerous to the fetus. But in life we pay for this with a sharp surge in anxiety before menstruation, when progesterone levels quickly drop, we are suddenly left without its calming effect and, out of habit, begin to think that the world is actually hostile.
Endocannabinoids
You have just had a full lunch of chicken breast and buckwheat porridge. But then you pass by a pastry shop and your body cries out for a terrible multi-day hunger, from which only this creamy cake can save you.
There are many molecules responsible for regulating feelings of hunger and satiety in the brain, but the most insidious players are endocannabinoids. They act on the brain in the same way as the active substances in marijuana and can cause the same irrational hunger.
In 2012, researchers from Naples showed that some endocannabinoids are associated not just with hunger, but specifically with the desire to eat tasty things: their levels increased in the blood of well-fed subjects if they were shown Italian pies with rum syrup, but not ordinary bread and butter.
Adrenalin
The projector in the office is broken, and in half an hour you have to give a crucial presentation. Your boss yelled at you about this (even though it’s not your fault!), and now you can’t work - you need to think about how to get out of the situation, but your hands are shaking and you want to immediately or run away somewhere , or also yell at someone.
Modern life is not similar to the conditions in which our brains evolved. From the point of view of nature, sharp negative emotions are most likely associated with danger and an attack from the enemy, which means that the ability to fight or flee needs to be activated. The release of adrenaline during stress is aimed precisely at this: the heartbeat accelerates, the level of glucose in the blood rises, and all side processes are suppressed.
But with modern stress there is absolutely no need to fight or flee, and it turns out that adrenaline is running idle. It is believed that this is precisely what is associated with the increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases in representatives of nervous professions: adrenaline constantly prepares the circulatory system for decisive action, but nowadays no one is running anywhere, and it turns out that a rapid heartbeat is just a meaningless burden on the body. organism.
Treatment of patients with high prolactin
There is no need to treat elevated levels if:
- hormone concentration up to 1000 U/l;
- the structure of the pituitary gland is not changed;
- the functioning of the organs of the reproductive system occurs without changes;
- the person is of normal weight.
The main assistant in the fight against increased prolactin is dopamine. They “compete” with each other, creating balance. To normalize the condition, it is recommended to do what brings pleasure and give the body time to rest. The following have a positive effect on hormonal levels:
- bananas,
- apples,
- watermelons,
- strawberry,
- prunes.
A good relaxing effect is massage, which allows you to normalize your emotional state.
Regular physical activity can reduce stress hormone levels. They should not be debilitating, as this may become a prerequisite for its increase. The best option is to perform gymnastics in a well-ventilated area or outdoors.
Before bed, you can make and take soothing infusions that contain mint, lemon balm and hops. Tablets with valerian extract also reduce anxiety levels. When using twigs, give preference to a tincture made from seeds. For this purpose 40 gr. raw materials are poured with alcohol or vodka in an amount of 230 grams, infused for two weeks in a dark place. The tincture is taken in a large spoon, diluted in 60 ml. water 30 minutes before meals.
During drug treatment, different therapeutic techniques are used for women and men. They are contacted only if other methods cannot reduce the hormone level.
Is it possible to prevent hormonal imbalance during stress?
The main rule is to listen to your body. With hormonal changes due to stress, unreasonable palpitations and anxiety appear. Sleep ceases to give a feeling of rest. In the morning there is fatigue, fog in the head, muscle pain. There is a decrease in sexual desire and a disruption in eating behavior.
You need to give time for rest and relaxation. Try to spend more time outdoors. Don’t forget about communication, which helps reduce anxiety and switch to positive experiences.
Thus, prolactin is more of a female stress hormone, since its increase is more often observed in the fairer sex. An increase in certain substances in the body is a protective effect. But if the condition is not corrected, physiological problems appear. Therefore, it is important to monitor your emotional state.
How does increased adrenaline and cortisol levels affect the body?
Since, after a number of studies conducted by specialists, it is known what stress hormones our glands synthesize when we find ourselves in difficult situations, certain conclusions have been made about the effect they have on the body as a whole and individual organs in particular. Let's start with cortisol, which at elevated levels causes a number of abnormalities:
- inhibits immune reactions;
- provokes an increase in blood sugar levels;
- disrupts the functioning of the thyroid gland;
- slows down the process of tissue growth, destroys muscle tissue and bones, making them fragile;
- causes problems with the skin;
- impairs sleep quality;
- disrupts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- provokes headaches, depression, apathy;
- negatively affects libido and the functions of the genitourinary organs;
- exacerbates the feeling of hunger, craving for sweets, disrupts metabolism, as a result of which rapid weight gain occurs and solid fat deposits appear on the hips, back, and abdomen.
As for adrenaline, the stress hormone, it has a positive effect in normal values and changes its sign to minus when adrenaline is released into the blood in large quantities.
Interesting! At the turn of the last century, during a parachute jump, a girl whose parachute did not open would probably have died from a heart-stopping impact on the ground. But once on the ant heap, her body was attacked by ants. Their bites caused a rush of adrenaline into her blood, which started her heart.
An increased hormone during stress partly mobilizes memory, reaction, attention, but at the same time is reflected in an increased contraction of the heart muscle. In the case of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, a rapid heart rate is fraught with stroke, heart attack, organ failure, etc.
Another hormone released during stress is norepinephrine. This secretion increases mobility, activates the activity of brain cells and lowers the pain threshold, and pain, as a rule, signals danger on a physical level.
