Everyone knows that stress negatively impacts your health, but how many people realize exactly how much stress may be affecting your reproductive hormones? When your body feels stressed it naturally releases hormones such as cortisol, which is derived primarily from progesterone, a reproductive hormone. Cortisol is similar to another hormone is known as adrenaline(i.e that fight or flight feeling), that might help us escape from danger but can actually prohibit fertility. Prolactin is a hormone that is released by the pituitary gland to inhibit a woman from becoming pregnant while nursing. However, prolactin can also be released in higher levels by the pituitary gland in times of stress.
Unfortunately, much of the stress we experience in modern times have nothing to do with that fight or flight response that triggered the above hormones. Most of our stressors arise from how we view problems instead of any real danger. For instance, we may be triggered by overworking, environmental pollution, worry, anxiety and other emotions. Under constant stress, our body does not deliver the necessary blood to the reproductive organs.
Next one we will discuss how Acupuncture reduces stress and balances the reproductive hormones. If you have any questions please visit our website to read more about Stress and Fertility.