What are the effects of having high cortisol?

Stress is a natural response of the body to situations experienced as threatening or that require a very, very fast response in general. However, beyond the elements of stress visible to the naked eye, such as increased heart rate or muscle tension, there is a whole series of very complex hormonal processes responsible for, first of all, being able to be stressed in certain situations that the life. And among all these hormones involved, there is one that stands out above all the others: cortisol.

As with the hormones that our body uses to function, cortisol is not in itself a substance that harms us. However, under some circumstances, being exposed to this hormone a lot can lead to problems. Therefore, in this article we will talk about the effects that having cortisol too high has on our body, that is, when it is much more present in our blood than one might expect.

• Related article: "Endocrine system: anatomy, parts and functions"

What is cortisol?

Cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone" is a steroid hormone that is responsible for regulating the body in stressful situations.

It is a key substance that, in addition to playing a fundamental role in states of stress, also regulates the blood pressure and has roles in glucose metabolism, insulin release, and response inflammatory.

As a hormone, we can better understand cortisol by viewing it as a molecule that is once released into our bloodstream from certain glands. of the body, it is displaced through the circulatory system until it reaches certain cells that capture it and experience a certain reaction due to it. If we now zoom in and see how there are thousands of cortisol molecules "browsing" at the same time in the blood, and that they can reach many different parts of the organism, we will get an idea of ​​the complexity of their functioning. However, as a summary we could say that cortisol causes the body to shift all its priorities to the most absolute short-termism, leaving the processes with benefits in the medium and long term in the background and focusing on what is necessary to react quickly to the demands of the present moment. When the body releases a lot of cortisol, it is because we have entered a kind of state of emergency.

At times when we experience a real or imagined threat, the body prepares to respond in two ways: through the coping reaction against that threat or through avoiding or fleeing from it. Cortisol is in charge of controlling these responses to stressful situations in which the person experiences a state of tension and immediate attention; It is in these cases when the adrenal glands react by releasing cortisol as a physiological response.

• You may be interested in: "Types of stress and its triggers"

What are the main effects of having high cortisol?

As we have seen, cortisol is an important hormone that has turned out to be key throughout human history and since before our birth as a species, since facing any threat directly meant the difference between death or death. survival.

However, high cortisol levels are also associated with a wide variety of negative aspects and diseases, as we will see below. Let's see, then, what are the effects of high cortisol.

1. emotional instability

Emotional instability is one of the first consequences of high cortisol levels in the body, and these manifested in greater irritability and a tendency to experience anxiety more or less suddenly.

An excess of cortisol makes the person more irritable during the day, which means that they face the different problems with less control of the emotions and interacts intransigently with other people, coming to take badly any problem, unforeseen event or new situation that must front facing.

This results in more confrontation with everyone throughout the day, which in turn creates more stress and a greater propensity to be hot, irritated, or sad.

• Related article: "Emotional instability: what is it and in what signs can it be detected?"

2. Imbalances in sugar level

An elevated level of cortisol, it also causes blood sugar levels to spike, which in turn can cause a series of serious health diseases.

One of the main diseases that can be caused by this high and sudden level of sugar in blood is hyperglycemia, caused by stimulation of the liver to produce more glucose by the cortisol.

In the long run, hypoglycemia can cause harmful symptoms for the body such as weakness, blurred vision, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, and nausea or vomiting.

3. Increase in blood pressure

As we have indicated, cortisol plays a specific role in the control and management of arterial blood flow in the body. human, that is why high levels of stress hormone can cause us to have a higher blood pressure high.

This is related, in turn, to a greater propensity to be stressed during the day and to live more stress any situation that is presented to us, making it difficult for us to control our emotions and impulses.

• You may be interested in: "Circulatory system: what it is, parts and characteristics"

4. Cognitive alterations

Excess cortisol also causes cognitive alterations in some of the most important mental functions, the ability to concentrate and memory being the most affected. Above all, it is striking that when this hormone is present in high amounts in our body, we tend to create fewer memories, or to memorize fewer important details. When, in addition, we suffer a very high cortisol "peak" at a specific moment linked to strong stress (for example, in a traffic accident), it is common that minutes later we do not remember anything.

This usually means that people affected by this problem have difficulties in carrying out their daily activities.

5. decreased bone density

Decreased bone density, also known as osteoporosis, is a direct effect of elevated cortisol levels in the body when sustained for a long time, and consists of a decrease in the absorption of calcium in the body.

Osteoporosis is a severe deficit that can lead to a series of problems, such as tendency to break bones on a regular basis, as they become porous and less resistant.

6. decrease in muscle tissue

In addition to affecting the bones, elevated cortisol also affects the muscles or muscle tissue, since the higher the level of this hormone is, they are significantly decreased. Ultimately, cortisol prioritizes fast metabolism so the body has plenty of energy. available to be "burned" quickly, and that happens to get rid of valuable resources when creating muscle.

That is why it is convenient to bear in mind that the more stressed we are, the more we run the risk of losing part of our muscle tissue and the weaker we can become.

7. Weight gain

Another of the important effects that high cholesterol levels can have on the body of people is a rapid increase in body weight, although this does not have to be due to biological processes alone: ​​being very stressed often gives rise to a false feeling of hunger, or emotional hunger.

Are you looking for psychological assistance?

If you are interested in having professional psychological assistance, I invite you to contact me.

My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I am a psychologist specializing in cognitive-behavioral psychology; I can assist you in person or online by video call.