Cortisol - The Stress Hormone

What Is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone that is produced by the human body. The cortisol hormone is responsible for the body's response to stress and is also called the stress hormone. Apart from this, cortisol is also responsible for maintaining various bodily functions and metabolism. This hormone is produced by the adrenal gland, but it interacts with certain parts of the human brain, which helps in controlling mood, fear, and motivation.

Cortisol is also responsible for the proper functioning of the following things that the human body does.

1. It helps to maintain and manage the way our body uses different nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

2. This hormone helps to keep the inflammatory response function normal.

3. It helps in the proper regulation of blood pressure.

4. Cortisol is responsible for having a proper glucose metabolism.

5. Also, it controls the sleep cycle.

6. It boosts our energy in order to overcome the stress and then restores the balance.

How Does Cortisol Work?

Our adrenal gland produces cortisol hormone as a response to stress or fear, and this is natural as it is a part of the human body's fight or flight response. So, for example, if any type of concern or threat confronts us, several reactions occur in our body within a very short span of time, making these reactions almost instantaneous. These reactions will prepare our body to stay and face a threat (fear) or escape to safety (flight).

Hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, located in our brain, are responsible for sensing if the cortisol amount is normal in our blood. When the cortisol level is less than normal, the brain sends signals to the adrenal gland to adjust the hormone level required to attain balance. This entire procedure is initiated and managed by a structure of our brain called the amygdala. The amygdala is also responsible for another hormone balance called adrenaline.

Once the hormone is released into the blood, the cortisol receptors present in the cells of our human body will receive this hormone and consume it for different activities in different ways. That being said, the level of cortisol required does not stay the same and differs from one day to another. Suppose the body is on full alert and the cortisol level becomes higher than usual; in that case, it might interfere with our body's primary function, including the digestive and reproductive systems.

What Are the Signs of High Cortisol?

Similar to other hormones, an increase in cortisol will create some unwanted reactions in the body. If a person is experiencing a constant or prolonged increase in the level of cortisol due to factors such as chronic stress or stressful work life, then a negative impact occurs in the body. They are:

• Decreased bone density.

• Increased abdominal fat.

• Higher blood pressure.

• Decrease in muscle tissue.

• Blood sugar imbalance resulting in hyperglycemia.

• Impaired cognitive performance.

• Suppressed thyroid functioning.

• Lowered immunity and slow healing rate.

• Reduced inflammatory response.

These signs create a negative impact on the body and might lead to other health concerns. For instance, an increase in abdominal fat has a high chance of health problems compared to fat in other parts of the body. Such health conditions include heart attacks, strokes, metabolic syndrome, and imbalance in good and bad cholesterol levels.

One of the most severe complications of chronic stress and prolonged elevation of blood cortisol level is Cushing syndrome. Cushing syndrome is associated with its own set of signs and symptoms, which include:

• High blood sugar.

• Increased thirst and urination.

• Osteoporosis.

• Depression.

• Frequent infection.

What Happens When There Is Not Enough Cortisol?

As mentioned earlier, our body needs to maintain a normal level of cortisol hormone. If there is a decrease in the cortisol level in our blood, it leads to a condition called Addison's disease. The symptoms of Addison's disease appear gradually over time, and they include:

• Being tired all the time.

• Diarrhea.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Changes in skin complexion such as darkening of scars and skin fold.

• Loss of appetite and body weight.

• Low blood pressure.

What Are Some Tips to Maintain Normal Cortisol Level?

The level of cortisol in our blood is elevated due to the fight or flight response. Hence, our body needs to have good relaxation in order to maintain the cortisol level in the normal range. This can be done through various relaxation and stress management techniques along with lifestyle changes.

Some of the techniques that relax our body and mind and have shown effective results towards maintaining the cortisol level include:

• Breathing exercise.

• Journaling.

• Listening to music.

• Meditation.

• Exercise.

• Guided imaginary and self-hypnosis.

• Yoga.

• Sex.

How to Treat High and Low Cortisol Levels?

Cortisol levels should be in the optimal range for the proper functioning of our body. Any imbalance (either up or down directions) will affect bodily functions, and hence the patient needs to reach out to a health care professional. Also, different people react differently to the stress-causing source and threats. Therefore there is no single treatment or preventive measure that can be implemented to all the persons.

For a High Level of Cortisol:

Cortisol levels might increase due to various factors, and one such factor might be the side effect of some medicines. So in such cases, the doctor might reduce the dosage or change to a different medication to help in reducing the cortisol level.

Medications such as Mitotane and Metyrapone are efficient in reducing the level of cortisol in the blood. In cases of severe conditions such as a tumor, the available treatment option is only surgery or radiotherapy.

For a Low Level of Cortisol:

Cortisol belongs to the group of hormones called glucocorticoid, and one of the treatments of low cortisol is the replacement of cortisol hormone. It can be done simply with synthetic oral glucocorticoids such as Dexamethasone, Prednisone, or Hydrocortisone.

For severe cases, hospitalization is required to administer intravenous glucocorticoids and saline solution along with dextrose.

Conclusion:

Practice some good relaxation techniques as it generally helps activate and regulate the body functions after a stressful event. It is a considerable challenge to allow our body to relax and bring back our cortisol level to normal in our stressful life. So follow regular relaxation techniques and adapt to the various lifestyle changes required to lead a peaceful and happy life.