ANXIETY SCORE AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS DURING DIFFERENT PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE

Abstract

Stress is a non specific response of the body ,when exposed to any demanding situation. A slight increase in cortisol levels,cortisol being the major stress hormone implicated in stress, has positive effects like increased energy, increased memory and decreased pain sensitivity.However, prolonged increase in cortisol levels can disrupt blood sugar metabolism, trigger emotional problems and elicit a feeling of constant weakness and tiredness. Salivary cortisol level measurement is a valuable and convenient alternative to plasma cortisol estimation. Even though people suffering from more stress than average have higher cortisol levels, it is yet to be demonstrated in natural conditions and in different phase of life.In our study,we studied the association of salivary cortisol with stress in different phases of the menstrual cycle and we concluded that salivary cortisol levels show positive correlation with luteal phase of menstrual cycle.