Is your cortisol out of balance? Pay attention to these symptoms

Constantly high cortisol levels can lead to numerous health conditions like anxiety and depression, headaches, heart disease, memory and concentration problems, weight gain and diabetes among others.

By: Lifestyle Desk

July 4, 2023 12:00 PM IST

3 min read

Cortisol testing requires a sample of blood, urine, saliva or a combination. In a healthy person, cortisol rises and falls at different times of the day. (Pic source: Freepik)

Cortisol or stress hormone is a key hormone, which helps the body respond adequately to stressful situations. It controls sugar levels, salt and water balance, weight and memory functions. It is secreted by the adrenal cortex. However, constantly high cortisol levels can lead to numerous health conditions like anxiety and depression, headaches, heart disease, memory and concentration problems, weight gain and diabetes among others.

“Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by the adrenal gland. Cortisol testing requires a sample of blood, urine, saliva or a combination. In a healthy person, cortisol rises and falls at different times of the day. It is usually higher in the morning and lower at night unless a person works late or has changing shifts. Some other events, which can affect cortisol levels, are hypothyroidism, infection and exercise,” Dr Santosh Pandey, Acupuncturist and Naturopath, Rejua Energy Center, Mumbai told indianexpress.com.

Dr Adrita Banerjee, Consultant Physician – Internal Medicine, Godrej Memorial Hospital, Mumbai added that the highest levels of cortisol are when you wake up in the morning and it gradually reduces over the day. Hence, to check our cortisol levels, it is important to test it at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm for better understanding of the values. “Also, salivary cortisol test is another method to identify the cortisol levels done at bedtime around 11:00 pm, as levels ideally are low this time. 24-hour urinary cortisol levels also help with the diagnosis and Adrenal Stress Index can also help,” he added.

Constantly high cortisol levels can lead to numerous health conditions like anxiety and depression, headaches, heart disease, memory and concentration problem, among others. (Pic source: Freepik)

Should you get your cortisol levels tested?

There are signs and symptoms which can indicate high cortisol levels in an individual. These symptoms can also indicate who are ideal candidates for testing cortisol levels. Dr Banerjee shared them as:

1. Weight gain
2. Puffy flushed face
3. Mood swings
4. Increased anxiety
5. Fatigue/poor sleep
6. Increased urination
7. Irregular periods and infertility in women
8. Higher susceptibility to infections
9. High blood pressure
10. High risk of fractures and Osteoporosis
11. Muscle aches and pains
12. Changes in libido
13. Excessive thirst

How to manage cortisol levels?

It is important to consult a doctor if you have persistently high cortisol levels. They may suggest medications apart from asking you to make lifestyle changes like getting adequate sleep, sleeping and getting up at the same time every day, exercising in the mornings and in moderation, journaling, avoiding alcohol and nicotine among other things.

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“Cortisol levels can be managed by proper plant-based food, reducing caffeine intake, exercise, destressing with natural treatments like Acupuncture or Reflexology,” concluded Dr Pandey.

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