Cortisol

Cushing’s Disease Description Cushing’s Disease is an adrenal gland disease in which there is an excess of the steroid hormone, cortisol, within the body. With Cushing’s Disease the body releases too, much of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This disease is rare as it effects 10 to 15 people per million each year. Women and men both can be diagnosed with this disease, but women tend to be affected more than men. The disease can be fatal is not treated correctly and promptly. Etiology…

Obese, Stressed-Out 40-Year-Old Blames Holocaust Introduction A forty-year-old man sits in the dark in complete silence. His resting heart rate sits at ninety beats per minute. He is severely overweight and suffers from hypertension. He cannot get a job because he experiences anxiety attacks any time he is placed in a stressful situation. He isolates himself from society in order to mitigate his depression. Why does this man have so many disorders? As ludicrous as it sounds, scientists blame…

I froze in horror as I read the Facebook message that was sent to me. He’s gone. My heart fell to my gut. I felt a sharp pain down my spine. My head started throbbing- I wanted to throw up. My body trembled, and my hands turned to ice. I started looking around the room to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I was trying to wake myself up from a nightmare that was my reality. According to Sapolsky, a neuroscientist of great renown, a “Stressor” is an event in the outside world that knocks you out of…

to extreme, toxic stressors such as domestic abuse or community violence hold the children’s stress response system continually active. During stressful situations, the body releases cortisol, a hormone that increases energy levels and helps with the “fight or flight” response. Naturally, children have lower cortisol levels than adults. Research suggests that frequent and early stressors can influence and leave a lasting effect on brain development, learning, and behavior (Shonkoff & Garner,…

One of the other types of stress is Episodic Acute Stress. When acute stress starts to happen, more often it is called episodic acute stress. People who always seem to have a continuous crisis in their life seem to have episodic acute stress. People that tend suffer from this always seem to be in a rush, they take too much on and tend not to be able to organize themselves to deal with demands and pressures. People who have Episodic Acute stress are often short-tempered, irritable, and anxious.…

INTRODUCTION Around the world, millions of children are experiencing loss and abuse, and its effects. Experiencing loss and abuse as a child are types of childhood trauma. Childhood trauma, according to the National Institute of Mental health is, “The experiences of an event by a child that is emotionally painful or distressful, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects”[1]. Abuse and loss can lead to childhood trauma depending on how influential they are as well as how well…

common endocrine disorder is known as adrenal insufficiency. This is where the adrenal gland releases too little of cortisol or aldosterone. Addison’s disease is a type of adrenal insufficiency. Symptoms likely include fatigue, upset stomach, dehydration, and skin changes. Cushing’s Disease is another endocrine issue. It is caused by an overactive adrenal gland. Some symptoms include obesity and increased thirst. It is common in children who take corticosteroids. Hyperthyroidism is another…

For this reason, it is imperative to bring awareness to how stress affects both the body and the mind and how to keep it under control. When the body remains under stress for long periods of time the brain reacts; releasing a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex of the kidney. Throughout the day, this hormone maintains blood glucose and suppresses non vital organ systems to…

thin. He became hypertensive three months ago, he does not have diabetes but his blood sugar has been elevated. His medications include Lisinopril; however, he has been noncompliant. At the emergency department labs were drawn, his ACTH and urine cortisol were elevated. His sodium was elevated at 150 mEq/L, and potassium was low at 3.0 mEq/L. An MRI revealed a pituitary tumor. He was diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome. Cushing’s Syndrome is serious condition where there is an excess amount of…

The Body’s Response to Stress Kimberly Shafto Ocean County College BIOL-131-DL1 The endocrine system and ANS work together in times of stress to maintain homeostasis. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is divided into two subdivisions the sympathetic, and parasympathetic. They sympathetic nervous system activates the “fight or flight” response which causes a rise in heart rate, pupil dilation, increased sweating, and blood pressure. The parasympathetic nervous system activates…