How to reduce cortisol
Nurses are called not just to physically care for patients but to provide them emotional support as well – which is just as important since high stress levels can lead to poor health in patients. Not that clinical professionals should be the ones to provide the hugs – but the following could be useful patient information to them and their loved ones. The following article from Fox News cited a study that showed hugs can increase oxytocin release and reduce cortisol.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,249138,00.html
Blood pressure and stress
“Then all the participants were gathered together and took turns speaking about a recent event that made them angry or stressed. When people were asked to remember such an event, it generally increased their heart rate and blood pressure. After the talk, the researchers found that the blood pressure level in the people deprived of contact with their loved ones soared. Their systolic, or upper reading, climbed 24 points — more than double the increase for those who were permitted to hug.
Their diastolic or lower reading also rose higher than those in the group who had contact. The participants who were deprived of contact also experienced a heart rate increase to 10 beats a minute, while the heart rate in those who hugged only increased to five beats a minute.”
Hugs, oxytocin and cortisol
“Each time we hug, we increase the level of oxytocin in the blood. This hormone is known as the bonding hormone because it triggers a “caring” response in both men and women. Oxytocin stimulates contractions of the uterus during labor and the release of milk during breast-feeding, so we literally learn to depend on it in the womb.
As adults, that daily dose of oxytocin-laced hugging protects us from heart disease. And while it works for both sexes, women seem to be the greater benefactors as exhibited by the second phase of the study.”
“When the researchers tested the levels of oxytocin after the hug, both men and women showed an increase. However, the researchers also discovered that all of the women had reduced levels of cortisol following the hug. Cortisol is another hormone produced by the adrenal glands as part of the body’s response to stress. The fact that the women participants’ cortisol levels were significantly lower means that females are especially responsive to the calming effects of a hug– proving that a hug a day can go a long way to keeping a woman you love heart healthy.”
Filed under: Nursing diary | Leave a Comment
No Responses Yet to “How to reduce cortisol”