9 Signs of High Cortisol Levels

Do you know that jittery, anxious feeling you get in your stomach before a nerve-wracking event like a high-stakes presentation or your first bungee jump? Stress has real effects on our bodies, and we can feel it in our clenched jaw and squirming gut when we face a stressful situation. But acute stress caused by a one-time event isn’t the only stress that affects us. Chronic stress—the persistent stress that plagues us over months or years—can profoundly affect our bodies and well-being. Cortisol is the MVP in this game, the hormone that floods our system when stress hits. 

Cortisol plays an important role in many physiological processes, such as metabolism, immune response, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure regulation. It’s essential for normal functioning, but our bodies are designed to work while maintaining a delicate internal balance, and too much cortisol can throw off many important physiological processes. In our modern and fast-paced world, elevated cortisol is an increasingly common problem. 

While acute stress is usually easy to spot, chronically high cortisol can be a sneakier beast. In this article, we’ll uncover how your stress response works and what signs might indicate high cortisol levels. We’ll also cover how to decrease your cortisol levels to feel better and improve your health.

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What Is Cortisol?

When your body perceives danger, a stress response prepares your body to confront the anticipated stressor. This “fight or flight” response is a primitive mechanism that causes an internal cascade of events. The first is carried out by the pituitary gland, located in the brain, which communicates with the adrenal gland by releasing a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH tells the adrenal gland, located above the kidneys, when to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

While cortisol is popularly known as your body’s “stress hormone,” that’s not its only job. On top of the stress response, there are many other essential bodily functions under its control:

• Blood Pressure Regulation
• Metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
• Regulation of Effects From Insulin (and therefore blood glucose levels)
• Inflammation: While the stress response temporarily suppresses inflammation and ramps up the immune system, chronically high levels can increase inflammation long-term and negatively affect the immune system¹
• Sleep-Wake Cycle

Various factors can cause high cortisol. Physiological stress is one, but physical and mental health conditions and medication are also common causes.

• Medication: Certain medications like corticosteroids and oral contraceptives can increase cortisol levels.
• Estrogen: High estrogen levels in women, like during pregnancy, are associated with increased cortisol levels.
• Adrenal Gland Issues: Your adrenal glands produce cortisol, so that abnormal functioning will affect your cortisol levels.
• Pituitary Gland Issues: Overactive pituitary glands will cause your adrenal glands to make too much cortisol.
• Malnutrition: Getting too little of certain nutrients can affect your endocrine system.
• Certain Conditions like depression, diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and alcoholism are also linked to high cortisol levels.

Cortisol’s Impact on the Body

Cortisol is usually kept within a delicate balance, spiking when a stressor is anticipated and dropping off when relaxed or ready for sleep. In modern times, we are often confronted with stressors that our bodies did not evolve to confront, like long-term psychological stress with no physical threat. In this case, the persistent high-cortisol stress response is maladaptive and can wreak havoc on the body.

More extreme cases of high cortisol can lead to what’s called Cushing’s syndrome, or hypercortisolism. Discolored stretch marks, fat between the shoulder blades, and a rounded, puffy face are some of the most common symptoms of Cushing's syndrome. It can also sometimes lead to high blood pressure, bone weakening, and type 2 diabetes. Cushing’s syndrome needs to be treated by a health professional.²

Cortisol itself isn’t the problem. The stress hormone is essential for the normal functioning of your body; it’s just when levels become chronically high that the hormone starts to cause harm. High cortisol levels can be managed, and the first step is identifying the signs.

9 Signs of High Cortisol Levels

Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling refers to a specific habit of using social media, where users consume lots of negative media like upsetting news about tragedies and disasters. If you are stressed, some research shows that more social media use may increase the risk for anxiety disorders.^{3, 4}

Weight Gain

Excess fat particularly around your stomach, upper back, chest, and face can indicate that you’re experiencing chronic stress. When cortisol is released blood glucose goes up, but because the threat that triggered the stress response is likely psychological and not physical, this glucose isn’t used up. So instead, it’s stored as fat, especially around the abdomen.

Stress can also increase cravings for sweet and salty foods, causing you to “stress eat.” This overeating can lead to weight gain. There are ways to cope with emotional eating, the most effective being management of the stress that causes it in the first place.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Are you constantly bloated or feel tension in your gut? The fight or flight response shuts down some unnecessary processes in your body so that it can focus on carrying out those necessary for survival. Digestion is affected because cortisol decreases blood flow to the digestive tract and causes the body to hold on to more water than usual. These two factors can cause bloating. Discomfort in the abdomen can also come from a clenched gut, a symptom of anxiety that also corresponds with high cortisol.

Trouble Sleeping

Cortisol controls our sleep-wake cycle, spiking in the morning and decreasing throughout the day until it reaches its lowest level in the middle of the night. When cortisol is higher than it should be, it keeps us from feeling sleepy even after the sun goes down. If you’re tossing, turning, and mulling over stressors during the night, then cortisol might be the culprit.

Frequent Colds

Chronically high cortisol can prevent your immune system from functioning correctly, making you more susceptible to contagious illness. Also, cortisol’s negative effect on your sleep schedule can keep you tired and weaken your defenses against sickness. 

Skin and Hair Changes

Cortisol can cause skin changes like bruising and slow wound healing. Cortisol prevents the production of molecules called cytokines, which reduce inflammation and support the healing process so your cuts and scrapes seem to stick around. Acne and thinning hair can also be a sign of high cortisol levels.

High Blood Sugar

To prepare you for “fight or flight” when faced with a stressor, cortisol triggers a spike in blood glucose and lipids to provide you with the energy you might need. The problem is that you won’t be using this glucose if the stressor is mental. As a result, chronic stress can cause chronically high blood glucose and a host of metabolic issues to go along with it.⁵

High Alcohol Intake

Studies suggest that stress is closely related to drinking patterns and, depending on the person, might increase alcohol consumption.⁶ If you often feel like drinking more than you know is healthy, reflect on whether it might be a means to cope with stressors, anxiety, or other mental health conditions.

Changes in Eating Patterns

Both eating too much and eating too little can be symptoms of stress. Some people respond to stressors with emotional eating as a way to cope and feel better. Others lose their appetite. You could also find yourself craving sugary or salty foods.

5 Ways to Naturally Lower Your Cortisol Levels for Better Health

How you manage your cortisol levels will depend on the underlying cause of your high cortisol. The cause will determine whether it is best to seek help from a doctor, nutritionist, or mental health therapist. If stress is at the root, there are also lots of ways you can manage your stress levels on your own. Many of the most helpful strategies involve returning to the basics to care for your physical and mental health.

1. Exercise: A heart-pumping session of your favorite workout can do wonders for your mental health. On a neurochemical level, exercise lowers cortisol and adrenaline and also triggers the release of feel-good endorphins.⁷ Find active activities you enjoy doing most days of the week. For even better mood-boosting sessions, find friends to do them with!
2. Connect With Loved Ones: Whether through a sport, game night, dinner party, or coffee date, sometimes all we need to feel the stress drain away is a chat with a loved one. Those who care for us can support us emotionally and help us feel less alone in our stress.
3. Sleep: Adults are usually recommended to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, but it’s best to sleep as much as your body naturally allows.⁸ Sleep is essential to our mental health, and without a solid night of rest, our daily problems seem amplified. The challenge for those struggling with high cortisol is that cortisol can also make it more difficult to sleep, so try out strategies to improve your sleep quality.
4. Eat Healthy: Eat well-rounded meals with plenty of nutrient-dense, unprocessed vegetables, protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. Avoid coffee, energy drinks, and caffeinated tea. Minimizing glucose spikes and caffeine will help decrease cortisol levels. Some specific nutrients have been shown to decrease stress, so consider adding foods or supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B and C to your diet.
5. Practice Mindfulness: Meditation, breathing practices, yoga, and reflective exercises can help you control a restless and stressed mind. 

<p class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn More: </strong><a href=yoga-for-back-pain>Yoga For Back Pain: Best Poses To Reduce Discomfort</a>.</p>

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<p class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=exercise-while-sick>Is it Safe to Exercise While Sick? Everything You Need to Know</a>.</p>