How Do Hormones Affect Us?

Hormones are like tireless workers. By acting on every cell and the functioning of various body systems, they accelerate and slow down the heart rate, lower and raise blood pressure, alter respiratory rate, regulate blood sugar levels, weight, sleep cycles, energy, emotions, moods, and help the immune system fight diseases. If hormonal balance is good, we feel great. If they are imbalanced—which happens due to many reasons, including endless stress, poor sleep quality, long working hours, improper nutrition, physical inactivity, a polluted environment, and so on—we experience various symptoms. Although every person (man, woman, child) has the same parts of the nervous system and hormones, their effects in each body can differ depending on how long and how strongly a particular hormone acts, and how many receptors capable of binding the hormone are present in the body to affect the cell. Since the hormonal background is the foundation of well-being and mood, endobiogeny emphasizes: it is necessary to look for the causes of hormonal imbalance and understand how they affect each of us. Otherwise, inflammatory processes in the body may intensify over time, leading to chronic diseases.

Affects Everyone Differently

We differ both in our appearance, character traits, and personality. We react differently to situations and suffer from different diseases. Our differences are determined by differences in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system and the hormonal system, which depend both on innate traits (genetics) and on changes that occur as we grow, develop, and are exposed to various stressors. To make it a bit clearer, it is important to understand how our autonomic nervous system works.

What Should We Know About the ANS?

The autonomic nervous system, divided into parasympathetic and sympathetic, is responsible for involuntary physiological processes occurring in our body, such as pupil dilation and constriction, intestinal motility, salivation, etc. This system helps respond to stimuli—both internal and external. In some people, these parts of the nervous system may be well-balanced, while in others, stronger traits of one of the ANS branches may emerge. We could call the parasympathetic nervous system the "rest and relaxation" system, which maintains the body's overall tone in a non-stressful environment. If the parasympathetic nervous system predominates in the body, you are calm, introverted, reserved, stable, hard to unbalance, perhaps even phlegmatic, reacting more slowly to situations. Meanwhile, the sympathetic branch of the nervous system acts as a response to stimuli when change—a certain action—is needed. The sympathetic nervous system can theoretically be divided into two parts: alpha-sympathetic and beta-sympathetic. How we react to stimuli depends on their ratio. People with a more pronounced alpha-sympathetic nervous system are alert, focused, more introverted, inclined to internalize feelings and tensions, and find it harder to relax. If the beta-sympathetic nervous system is more pronounced, during stress you may act in two ways: take quick action or react more sensitively to the situation and become distracted. People characterized by fast body movements, impulsiveness, being full of energy, and being able to communicate easily with those around them are called extroverts.

How Hormones Affect Personality Traits

In addition to the ANS, hormone activity can also influence a person's personality traits. If the activity of a certain hormone is more pronounced than others, it is likely that there will also be more changes caused by that hormone in the body.

Oxytocin.

Also known as the love hormone, it is responsible for long-term attachment, fidelity, is related to emotional memory, and can help maintain trust, empathy, and good relationships. It is essential after childbirth, during breastfeeding, as well as in strengthening parent-child

bonding. When active, this hormone has a calming effect and helps one feel part of a community, so we can activate it through socializing, touching, and hugging. Oxytocin levels increase during kissing, cuddling, or making love. Pets can also stimulate oxytocin release.

TRH and TSH.

The first hormone belonging to the thyroid axis, secreted in the hypothalamus of the brain, is responsible for creativity, originality, emotional thinking, and the ability to find a way out of difficult situations. It is associated with vivid and graphic dreams. The other hormone belonging to the thyroid axis, TSH, is responsible for systematicity, detail, and consistency, and can be associated with pedantry, as well as uniform, recurring dreams. A simple example of the difference between people in whose bodies TRH and TSH hormones dominate would be this: if you ask a person dominated by the TRH hormone for their delicious pancake recipe, you won't get an answer—they look at it creatively and add everything "by eye" or by feel. Meanwhile, a person dominated by the TSH hormone is likely to provide a detailed recipe with exact amounts of ingredients and the time needed for baking. TRH "ignites" thoughts, while TSH helps systematize those thoughts. Those with active TRH prefer to improvise and create new strategies, while those with active TSH prefer to work according to a precise plan.

Androgens and estrogens.

If "male" hormones—androgens—predominate in the human body, the person is characterized by determination, is full of strength, desire to fight for oneself and/or another, and is independent. Predominant androgens help make decisions more easily, stay focused, and increase the desire to exercise. Tenderness, flexibility, harmony, the ability to multitask, care for others, and empathize with other people's needs are granted to us by predominant estrogens, otherwise known as "female" hormones. Both men and women have both androgens and estrogens; their dominance can vary in each of us.

Prolactin.

It is present in everyone's body and is constantly active, only secreted in larger quantities during breastfeeding. Prolactin is also called the caring hormone, so it is no wonder that individuals with active prolactin may tend to dedicate their energy to the well-being of others, often even forgetting themselves.

Dopamine and serotonin.

Two substances acting in our brain—dopamine and serotonin—are associated with a sense of happiness. Although both of these hormones (and neurotransmitters, i.e., hormones not secreted by a single gland) are linked to happiness, they are activated differently. Dopamine, also known as the "feel-good" hormone, is an important component of the brain's reward system. This system is activated when, after performing a certain action (exercising, solving a task, completing work) or achieving a certain result, we feel satisfaction, pleasure, joy, and the like. By boosting motivation and an uplifted mood, dopamine is responsible for rational thinking and planning, making it most active when pursuing goals—whether long-term (a five-year plan) or short-term (winning a competition). That is why those whose bodies release a lot of dopamine are persistent, stubborn, and do not look for an easy way out. It is also interesting that dopamine inhibits prolactin.

Serotonin.

It is also a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that affects the cardiovascular, immune, excretory, and digestive systems. This hormone is responsible for alertness, learning capabilities and memory, self-confidence, and self-esteem; it helps regulate mood, appetite, and digestion, and allows us to feel emotionally stable, worry less, focus even more when needed, and stay energetic. In short, serotonin is responsible for being "here and now", the ability to notice the environment, tune into what is happening, and enjoy the present process with satisfaction. Serotonin is also associated with depression and addictions (to sweets, alcohol).

This article is from the first issue of the "Endobiogeny" magazine.