💊Daily Pill: Cortisol
The Stress Hormone
The Daily Pill is a series of very short daily posts where I share the definition of a medical term I think we should all know. Read it every morning and build up your medical vocabulary.
Cortisol
Cortisol is often referred to as the "stress hormone" because… drumroll 🥁… it plays a critical role in the body's response to stress. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands and it helps regulate a variety of processes including metabolism and the immune response.
If you’re facing a stressful situation, cortisol increases glucose in the bloodstream for fuel, enhances your brain's use of glucose, and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. At the same time, it suppresses functions that would be considered nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation, for example the immune system, the digestive system, the reproductive system, and growth processes. Now you know one of the main reasons chronic stress is bad for you: it puts everything else on hold. Cortisol is like a natural alarm system that manages resources and communicates with brain regions that control mood, motivation, and fear.
🤔Why you need to know:
Because abnormal cortisol levels can manifest in various ways clinically and even sub-clinically. Symptoms will depend on whether there is an excess or a deficiency:
High cortisol levels can lead to:
Weight gain, particularly around the abdomen and face.
Thinning skin that bruises easily.
Fatigue yet difficulty sleeping.
High blood pressure.
Mood swings, anxiety, and depression.
Increased thirst and frequency of urination.
Low cortisol levels, on the other hand, might present as:
Fatigue and weakness.
Unintentional weight loss.
Low blood pressure.
Muscle and joint pain.
Irritability and mood swings.
Craving salty foods.
Cortisol levels are easy to check and if you have a number of non-specific symptoms matching any of the above, it may be worth bringing it up and seeing what your PCP thinks. Here is a whole episode on cortisol and adrenaline in case you are interested in this topic:
🧠Trivia:
The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys. For those of you who don’t speak Latin: ad-(near or around); renalis(kidney). The adrenal glands also make adrenaline… and now you know where that name comes from too. I feel like I should start charging you for all the shit Im teaching you. 😉👉🏽👉🏽
