This is how cortisol can harm the body

Cortisol is one of the many effects that we find in the human body that carved biological mechanisms over millions of years of natural selection can lead to health problems in some circumstances.

And it is that although in most cases this hormone helps us to know how to adapt to the challenges of life, sometimes the way in which we manage our behavior and our emotions affects these processes of the organism causing them to come between us and a good quality of life.

That's what we'll talk about in this article: the ways in which cortisol can harm our body.

• Related article: "Types of hormones and their functions in the human body"

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a type of molecule produced by the body and has both physical effects on the body and psychological effects on behavior and the way people feel. Specifically, this hormone is part of a group of substances known as corticosteroids, which are secreted in high amounts by the body in situations where a stress response is activated to situations that pose a challenge for the person (or that are perceived as such).

It is secreted by the adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys and whose main function is release certain classes of hormones into the bloodstream primarily on orders from the encephalon

That is, cortisol is one of the types of substances generated by the body whose function is “adjust” the functioning of the organism to potentially dangerous contexts or in which there is a certain risk to be avoided. And it is that the human body has several mechanisms to modify its functioning according to the priorities that emerge from the environment, and one of them is the stress response.

• You may be interested: "Cortisol: the hormone that generates stress"

How can experiencing high levels of cortisol harm our body?

The link between cortisol and stress is so important that when this molecule is produced in very high amounts in situations of acute stress, is capable of affecting our hypothalamus to the point that our ability to generate long-term memories is inhibited This explains that some people, when experiencing experiences such as a traffic accident or the sudden death of a loved one, have trouble remembering what happened even if they never became unconscious.

But the effects of cortisol linked to the stress mechanism are not only psychological, and can significantly impair various biological processes in different parts of the body, although this kind of phenomena are not so "spectacular" and many are not noticed until several weeks have passed under stress high.

It is clear that cortisol is not in itself a bad thing for health (it can hardly be considering that it is a hormone generated by the body), but in certain circumstances in which day-to-day problems overflow emotionally, being secreted in high quantities for a long time can contribute to wearing down our quality of life and, in the medium and long term, can damage the organism. Here we will see the different ways in which it does it.

1. inhibits the immune reaction

As cortisol makes the priority to be the ability to react quickly to situations that they present us with a problem in our environment, functions with more medium- and long-term goals remain relegated. Therefore, while this hormone is secreted in large quantities, our immune system loses effectiveness and our exposure to inflammatory processes increases.

• Related article: "Leukocytes: what they are, types and functions in the human body"

2. slows down bone formation

Since cortisol directs the body's resources to "bail out" in complicated situations, part of the elements that would be destined to form and maintain cellular tissues are destined for this stress reaction. This is what happens to a large extent with bone cells, so that after a time of great stress, bones weaken.

3. Wears down nervous system performance

As cortisol predisposes us to have a more activated brain than normal, if the situation prolonged, this affects our ability to concentrate, our ability to remember, and what's more exposes us to insomnia problems, which physically affect the brain and favor the elimination of connections between neurons in key areas of the brain associated with executive functions.

• You may be interested: "Parts of the Nervous System: functions and anatomical structures"

4. predisposes to hyperglycemia

Another characteristic of cortisol is that limits the effects of insulin, so that it helps glucose to accumulate in the blood.

5. Decreases collagen production

Cortisol limits the effects of cortisol, a very important protein especially in connective tissue areas of the body. This is especially noticeable in the state of the skin, something that explains a very visible phenomenon: those who have suffered a lot of stress for months or years experience a higher rate of aging reflected in the state of the skin.

6. weakens muscle tissue

Similar to other cells in the body, cortisol causes muscle fibers to weaken due to the reorientation of proteins towards other functions associated with the stress response.

• Related article: "Muscular system: what it is, parts and functions"

Do you need professional psychological assistance to manage stress?

If you are looking for psychological intervention services, I encourage you to contact me.

My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I am a psychologist specializing in the cognitive-behavioral model. I serve individuals and companies in person in Madrid and through online sessions by video call.