Stress leads to a variety of health complications but can especially adversely affect the health of women. If you are under a great deal of emotional or physical stress, it is important to become familiar with the dynamics of the health issues you may face and how your body is physically responding to the stress in your life.
In women, the adrenal glands experience a great degree of suppression and adverse function in response to stress. When under stress, it is possible for women to develop a whole variety of adrenal related complications that will manifest in different physical health ailments. For some women, the complication may lead to the development of Conn’s syndrome – a condition involving surgery to the adrenal glands.
When adrenal gland function is impaired by stress, one of the key risks a woman faces is a rise in hypertension risks. This increase in hypertension risk is often associated with aldosterone secretion complications that result from adrenal glands. It is important, therefore, that if you are living with a great deal of stress, that you get regular laboratory work done to determine if your aldosterone levels are normal. When living with hypertension, this may be the complication that, once resolved, can reduce your hypertensive complications as well.
For most women, stress of an emotional or physical level will often manifest as a variety of conditions but it is the hypertension symptoms that often land us in the doctor’s office. While your doctor may be inclined to prescribe medications to restore your hypertensive state to normal, if you continue to be under a great deal of stress, you can expect your hypertension will always be a complication for you. It is important, therefore, that you not only treat the hypertension with medications, but that you also alleviate and remove as much of the stress from your life.
Conn’s syndrome is the common condition that leads to surgery involving removal of the adrenal glands. If you are under a great deal of stress that leads to abnormal levels of aldosterone secretion, your doctor may find that removing your adrenal glands is necessary in order to more effectively manage your plasma sodium levels and manage your hypertension. Ultimately, it is important to find a doctor who understands women’s health issues and how the adrenal glands are not only impaired by stress but what other secondary complications are manifested and difficult to control.
Sources: Endocrinology and Diabetes: Clinical Cases Uncovered, by Ramzi Ajjan
