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UDC: 159.944.4:612.017.2:616.1/.8
Yakovets Karolina, Hluhovska Svitlana, Yakovets Ruslan, Chornenka Zhanetta Bukovinian State Medical University, Ukraine DOI: 10.24412/2520-6990-2023-14173-33-36
THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON THE HUMAN BODY - ILLNESSES THAT WE CAN EXPECT
Abstract.
War and its consequences are the cause of chronic stress. Such a condition can become an impetus for the development, for example, of diabetes type 2 or other endocrine disorders, especially in people who have a high risk of developing this disease. To date, a large amount of information has been accumulated, which indicates that the nervous and endocrine systems are integral parts of the general system of adaptation. The question of the role of emotional influences in the etiology and pathogenesis of diabetes, thyroid gland, and sex hormones has gained relevance with the development of psychosomatic medicine.
Keywords: stress, diabetes, overweight, sex hormones, thyroid gland
Anxiety, mental restlessness and shock from military events on the territory of the country are those feelings that have a negative effect on our body. Against this background, long-term stress or post-traumatic syndrome can develop, which will lead to a malfunction of organs and systems. Hormonal and metabolic processes are very sensitive to such an influence, and can worsen the state of health in the presence of diabetes or become the cause of the development of a new disease. If short-term stress is our friend, because it allows us to quickly react to some danger and quickly escape from it, then long-term, chronic stress is the enemy of our body, because it leads to malfunctions of systems and organs. Quantitatively, type 2 diabetes accounts for 85-90% of the total number of patients suffering from this disease.
When we are in a state of shock, proteins of the nervous system begin to enter the bloodstream. Antibodies appear - the body's immune response. Similar proteins synthesize substances that produce insulin. The stronger the stress, the more antibodies are produced, which provokes the destruction of cells that produce insulin. During a stressful state, adrenaline increases, this inhibits insulin production. Therefore, the level of glucose in the blood begins to rise. Also, with stress, there is a decrease in the protective functions of the immune system, which makes the patient vulnerable to various diseases. However, diabetes does not occur because of a layoff from a job or an argument with a neighbor. The reason for the development of this disease can be a situation that is a threat to one's own life or the life of a loved one. If stress is diagnosed for a long time, it can lead to persistent hyperglycemia. This condition is characterized by a significant increase in cortisol, which is necessary for the body to function normally and work capacity. With its excessive amount, complications of the general state of the body may be observed. Also, under stress, this hormone provokes overeating and a craving for sweet, fatty foods. For a patient with diabetes, stress poses the greatest threat, because it leads to an increase in sugar levels, against the background of which various complications can arise, for example, blood pressure rises. Due to a depressed state, a person may simply forget to measure
glucose or take medication, which will significantly worsen the condition.
The human body is well prepared for stress, which forces us to run, to understand and frantically search for ways out of the situation. For this, all body systems are mobilized, primarily the endocrine system, this is responsible for metabolism.
However, the body is powerless in the face of chronic stress, when there is no need to run, escape and strain the muscles. A hormonal failure occurs, which leads to dysfunction of the entire body. As a result, diabetes, obesity, pathologies of the adrenal glands and diseases of the thyroid gland can develop. Disruption of hormone production leads to diseases of the heart, kidneys, liver and even affects the condition of the skin and hair.
Stresses can be caused by positive and negative events, so they are divided into two broad categories:
• Eustress is associated with positive moments.
• Distress is caused by negative emotions.
However, surprisingly, our body reacts to both
types of stimuli in almost the same way. Therefore, the opinion that one does not die from happiness is not entirely true - both positive and negative emotions affect the body in the same way.
Regardless of the cause of emotional excitement, a whole series of reactions is triggered in the body in response:
> Blood pressure increases and blood is directed to the brain. The work of the brain departments responsible for vision, hearing and decision-making is strengthened.
> The work of the main systems - cardiovascular, digestive, and immune - is strengthened. Adrenal glands - small glands located on top of the kidneys, begin to produce hormones that prepare the body for critical situations and increased loads. The level of glucose and fatty acids, which saturate the body with energy, increases.
> The heartbeat increases, blood pressure rises, the work of blood vessels and internal organs increases, blood coagulation accelerates - the body prepares to fight and possible bleeding.
Stress and diabetes
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The transition to an enhanced energy regime is accompanied by increased glucose consumption. Carbohydrates are taken by the body by breaking down glycogen accumulated in the liver, and in case of a lack of it - from fat reserves.
The effect of the adrenal hormone cortisol, which is released during stress, reduces the production of insulin, which is necessary for the processing of sugar and its accumulation. In a state of stress, carbohydrates are only consumed - there is no need to store them. Falling insulin levels increase blood glucose.
Such a mechanism works flawlessly if you need to kill the enemy or escape from danger (for example, during an air raid). In this case, the muscles will work harder and burn sugar in the blood. Our bodies operate on an age-old script, releasing adrenal hormones into the bloodstream and raising glucose levels.
It is not dangerous when such a situation occurs infrequently. But chronic stress leads to a constant increase in glucose levels and results in diabetes. That is why more than half of patients with diabetes note its connection with a stressful situation.
For diabetics, a severe nervous shock is life-threatening. At any moment, a sharp jump in the sugar level can occur - the patient's glucose will rise to high numbers and a hyperglycemic coma will develop. Without urgent medical care, such a complication can lead to a sad outcome. Therefore, during stressful situations, you should control your sugar level by taking a glucose test.
Since diabetes is hidden for a long time, the best option to detect the initial stage of the disease - prediabetes - is to take a blood test for a sugar curve. During the study, blood is taken from the patient on an empty stomach, then he is given a glass of sweet solution to drink, and then the analysis is repeated several times within two hours. Normally, the sugar level should decrease to 6-7 mmol/l. With diabetes, this indicator can be 10-11 mmol/l.
Stress and overweight
People who are in a stressful situation can be divided into two categories. Some lose weight in emotionally difficult conditions, while others recover.
The secret lies in the interaction of two hormones:
• Cortisol is a destroyer of energy reserves. This substance breaks down fat, turning it into energy.
• Insulin is a collector that sends glucose to fat stores.
With their help, over millennia of evolution, the body has learned to use fat sparingly, rather than die due to a lack of food.
During stress, the hormone cortisol mobilizes the body, increasing the level of glucose in the blood. But here insulin comes into play, which begins to reduce the concentration of sugar and return it back to the state of reserves. With chronic stress, this circulation turns into a kind of vicious circle, in which it is important which hormone is produced more.
If the adrenal glands work well and the pancreas is weak, a lot of cortisol is produced and little insulin - a sharp weight loss occurs. If there is little cortisol produced, and a lot of insulin, weight begins to gain.
In the future, increased production of hormones by the adrenal glands exhausts the function of these organs. There is a sharp decrease in the concentration of hormonal substances. Patients complain of weakness, reduced work capacity, dizziness, and pressure spikes.
In this situation, many people begin to excessively consume coffee, strong tea and energy drinks, trying to cheer up the cardiovascular system, which is "addicted" to large doses of hormones.
In severe cases, Addison's disease develops, or hy-pocorticism, in which the adrenal glands can no longer produce enough hormones. The skin of patients acquires a bronze hue, which is why the disease was called bronze.
Fatigue, depression, menstrual disorders, convulsions, body dehydration, poor digestive tract function, heart failure are observed. Patients have to be prescribed high doses of hormones.
As a result of negative changes in the body, a hormonal failure occurs, which leads to depression. Many are looking for a way out of it in the consumption of sweet, floury and alcoholic beverages. A person tries to cheer himself up in this way. Passion for carbohydrates and overeating against the background of increased insulin production leads to obesity.
Therefore, in order not to get out of a stressful situation with a couple of dozen extra kilograms, you need to visit an endocrinologist during this period, take all the necessary tests and follow a low-carbohydrate diet.
Stress and sex hormones
Stress has a negative effect on sexual behavior, and long-term stress can suppress sexual function altogether. In a stressful situation, the body switches all resources to the synthesis of cortisol and insulin, turning off the production of other hormones, for example, sex hormones.
But stress affects the male and female bodies differently.
When the male reproductive system is working normally, the hypothalamus produces luteinizing releasing hormone (LHRG). Once in the pituitary gland, it prompts it to produce luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). LH, in turn, stimulates the testicles to produce testosterone, and FSH stimulates the production of sperm.
In a stressful situation, the concentration of LHRH decreases, and then the concentration of LH and FSH. As a result, the level of testosterone in the blood falls, less sperm is produced and its quality decreases: the number of spermatozoa decreases, they become less mobile and less viable.
In addition, stress weakens an erection. Long-term stress leads to diseases of the vascular system, and because of them, blood circulation is disturbed. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for an erection, and if a man is burdened by something - family difficulties or problems at work - his sympathetic system works. But the opposite situation also happens: when everything is fine with excitement, but the para-sympathetic system is quickly turned off and the sympathetic system is turned on, this leads to premature ejaculation.
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The female reproductive system works almost like a male. A woman's hypothalamus produces LHRH; it enters the pituitary gland and triggers the secretion of LH and FSH. They are responsible for ovulation and hormone production in the ovaries.
But before talking about stress, you need to say a few words about the menstrual cycle. It consists of two stages: follicular and luteal. In the first stage, concentrations of LHRH, LH, FSH, and estrogen increase: at the time of ovulation, their concentration reaches a maximum. In the second stage, the amount of progesterone increases: because of it, the walls of the uterus swell, so that if the sperm fertilizes the egg, the embryo can develop in them. Under stress, the production of LH, FSH and estrogen decreases, which lengthens the menstrual cycle.
There is a small amount of androgens in the blood of women (men have more of them). If there are a lot of androgens, they cause failures in the reproductive system. To avoid such consequences, the enzymes of the fat layer convert androgens into estrogens. Often due to stress, weight is lost, so enzymes become low and cannot convert androgens into estrogens. Then the woman has health problems, for example, the menstrual cycle is disturbed. This condition is called amen-orrhea. The body turns off the reproductive function, as it is not the most necessary at the moment.
With stress, the level of the hormone progesterone, which is responsible for maintaining pregnancy, also drops. Therefore, on the background of a nervous breakdown, a miscarriage may occur or infertility may develop.
Stress and the thyroid gland
The work of the thyroid gland is regulated by the thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH, which is produced by the pituitary gland, an appendage of the brain. This hormonal substance directs the production of the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). When the level of TSH decreases, their production increases, and when it increases, it decreases.
Adrenal hormones have the property of reducing the level of TSH and suppressing the function of the thyroid gland. As a result, the concentration of thyroid hormones increases, which is accompanied by the appearance of a goiter on the neck, hair loss, protruding eyeballs, palpitations, tremors, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, insomnia. According to doctors, the body begins to work like a furnace with an open blower.
To eliminate this condition, drugs are prescribed that reduce the level of thyroid hormones. Sometimes it is necessary to resort to surgery to remove an enlarged goiter. To avoid this, in case of stress, you need to take tests for thyroid hormones and, if necessary, correct their level with the help of special drugs.
It is very difficult to avoid stress, but medical help during this period will allow you to pass through a difficult period of life with the least harm to your health.
Stress is a kind of turbo mode of the body: you become a superhero who is ready to roll mountains. But if you are constantly in this state, it will have a detrimental effect on your health.
In the short term, stress stimulates the production of chemicals in the brain - neurotrophins. They
strengthen the connections between neurons, so exercise increases concentration and make us more productive. Moderate stress mobilizes cells of the immune system.
Prolonged stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, which kills about 17 million people every year. Coping with stress requires extra energy. Then the body resorts to catabolism - an increase in the breakdown of tissues to obtain energy. Because of this, white blood cells - the main defenders of immunity - die.
Severe stress can lead to malignant tumors. The work of the nervous system is suppressed, the activity of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells decreases, which leads to the growth of malignant cells and the spread of tumors.
Stress is part of our survival system. Long-term stress harms the body, but short-term, on the contrary, can be really useful.
Conclusion. In the current conditions, it is very difficult to isolate yourself from stress. But we can do something. In particular, watch less negative news, switch to interesting movies, listen to music you like, read fiction or scientific literature, draw, do sports, talk to relatives and friends, and don't withdraw into yourself.
You can't forget about yourself! Do the same things you did before the war: go shopping, walk in the park, go to the hairdresser, get a manicure. Those who can do it - take up meditation. And the most important thing is a rational diet and healthy sleep.
It doesn't matter if a person has diabetes or not, you should try to reduce your stress level. Follow these recommendations:
1. When feeling anxious, do breathing exercises. For example, deep inhalation, slow exhalation (make the exhalation longer than the inhalation).
2. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, monitor your sugar level and do not ignore medication. Do not forget about carbohydrates: bars, cookies.
3. Do not abuse "stress eating", you need to control the composition and amount of food.
4. Take preventive measures to prevent the disease or the development of diabetes. Taking natural complexes will help support the body during stress.
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