Your adrenal glands, which are endocrine glands above your kidneys, generate and release the steroid hormone cortisol. While cortisol impacts many bodily functions, its primary function is modulating your body’s reaction to stress.

What is cortisol?

The glucocorticoid hormone cortisol is produced and released by your adrenal glands.

Hormones communicate with your organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues through your bloodstream to regulate various bodily activities. Your body receives these messages and knows what to do and when.

Within the class of steroid hormones are glucocorticoids. They regulate metabolism in your muscles, fat, liver, and bones while reducing inflammation in your body’s tissues. Moreover, glucocorticoids impact sleep-wake cycles. 

The little, triangle-shaped glands atop each of your two kidneys are called suprarenal glands or adrenal glands. They belong to the endocrine system in your body.

 It has a variety of significant responsibilities, such as:

–          controlling the stress reaction in your body.

–          supporting the regulation of your body’s metabolism, which includes how it uses fats, proteins, and carbs.

–          reducing the inflammatory response.

–          controlling blood pressure.

–          controlling blood sugar.

–          assisting in managing your circadian rhythm

Your body keeps an eye on your cortisol levels all the time in order to keep them stable (homeostasis). Your health may suffer if your cortisol levels are higher or lower than usual. 

Cortisol, Is the stress hormone?

Many people refer to cortisol as the “stress hormone.” However, in addition to controlling your body’s stress response, it also performs a variety of vital roles throughout your whole body.

It’s also critical to keep in mind that, in terms of biology, stress comes in many forms, such as:

Stress that strikes suddenly and intensely in a brief amount of time is known as acute stress. Situations like narrowly missing an automobile accident or being pursued by an animal can lead to severe stress.

Chronic stress: Persistent events that give you tension or irritation can lead to chronic stress, also known as long-term stress. Chronic stress might be brought on, for instance, by a chronic disease or a challenging or demanding work.

Traumatic stress: This is the state that results from encountering a potentially fatal situation that makes you feel afraid and powerless. Traumatic stress can be brought on by, among other things, witnessing a violent conflict, a sexual assault, or an extreme meteorological occurrence like a tornado. These experiences may occasionally result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How does my body react to cortisol?

Your body’s tissues are almost entirely composed of glucocorticoid receptors. Cortisol can, therefore, have an impact on almost all of your body’s organ systems, including the nervous system.

Immune system.

Heart-related system.

Respiratory system.

Mechanisms of reproduction (male and female).

Skeletal system.

Nerves, glands, hair, nails, and skin make up the integumentary system. 

More precisely, cortisol has the following effects on your body:

Controlling your body’s stress response: In times of stress, your body may release cortisol in addition to adrenaline and other “fight or flight” hormones to keep you hypervigilant. Furthermore, during stressful times, cortisol causes your liver to produce glucose, or sugar, for quick energy.

Controlling metabolism: Cortisol has a role in regulating how your body converts proteins, lipids, and carbs into energy.

Reducing inflammation: Cortisol has the ability to temporarily increase immunity by reducing inflammation. On the other hand, if your cortisol levels are high on a regular basis, your body may become accustomed to having excessive cortisol in the blood, which may impair immunity and cause inflammation.

Blood pressure regulation: It is unknown how precisely cortisol affects blood pressure in people. On the other hand, low cortisol levels can result in low blood pressure, while excessive cortisol levels can produce high blood pressure.

Raising and controlling blood sugar: Normally, cortisol balances the influence of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, in controlling your blood sugar. Insulin reduces blood sugar, but cortisol raises blood sugar by releasing glucose that has been stored. Chronically elevated cortisol levels have been linked to hyperglycemia or persistently elevated blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes may result from this.

Assisting in regulating your sleep-wake cycle: Normally, your cortisol levels are at their lowest in the evening when you go to bed and at their highest in the morning just before you wake up. This implies that cortisol affects your body’s circadian rhythm and is important for the start of awake.

Sufficient quantities of cortisol are essential for survival and the maintenance of several body processes. Your general health may be negatively impacted by persistently high or low cortisol levels.

What signs of elevated cortisol levels are present?

The degree of cortisol elevation determines the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome. Typical indications and manifestations of elevated cortisol levels consist of:

–          Gaining weight, particularly around the face and tummy.

–          Between your shoulder blades are fatty deposits.

–          Your tummy has wide, purple stretch marks on it.

–          weakness in the thighs and upper arms muscles.

–          elevated blood sugar, which frequently progresses to Type 2 diabetes.

–          elevated blood pressure, or hypertension.

–          hirsutism, or excessive hair development, in those born with a feminine gender assignment.

–          fractures and weak bones (osteoporosis). 

How can I lower my levels of cortisol?

You will require medical therapy to reduce your cortisol levels if you have Cushing’s syndrome, which is characterised by extremely high cortisol levels. Typically, medicine and/or surgery are used in treatment. In addition, medical intervention is required if your cortisol levels are below normal.

Generally speaking, though, there are a number of commonplace actions you can do to attempt to reduce your cortisol levels and maintain them at ideal levels, such as: 

– A healthy sleep schedule is important since chronic sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and working night shifts, are linked to elevated cortisol levels.

– Engage in regular exercise: Numerous studies have demonstrated that regular exercise enhances the quality of sleep and lowers stress, both of which can eventually lower cortisol levels.

– Reduce your exposure to stress and anxious thought patterns: By being conscious of your breathing, pulse rate, thought patterns, and other indicators of tension, you may identify stress early on and take steps to keep it from getting worse.

– Engage in controlled breathing techniques to activate your parasympathetic nerve system, often known as your “rest and digest” system, which helps reduce cortisol levels.

– Have fun and laugh: Laughing reduces cortisol and encourages the release of endorphins. Engaging in enjoyable activities and hobbies can also help you feel better, which may reduce your cortisol levels.

– Sustain wholesome connections: Our lives revolve greatly around our relationships. Frequent stress and elevated cortisol levels might result from stressful and dysfunctional relationships with loved ones or coworkers.

One important hormone that affects many parts of your body is cortisol. Although you may attempt a number of strategies to reduce stress and, in turn, control your cortisol levels, there are situations in which unusually high or low cortisol levels are beyond your control.

Make sure to get in touch with your healthcare practitioner if you encounter signs of either excessive or low cortisol, such as changes in blood pressure or weight gain or loss. To determine if your symptoms are coming from your pituitary or adrenal glands, they can do a few quick tests.