Cortisol defect: All you need to know about the stress hormone

It is normal to be exposed to tension, but it should not affect your daily work. If you encounter Chronic stress And exhaustion that affects your daily life, may be more than just a bad week. Chronic stress and fatigue like this may be a red sign of a deeper thing – this may be a sign that you may have an imbalance in the cortisol. But you are not alone; numerous Reddit links Show a good number of users who deal with the same problem and wonder about the exact steps they can take to control their cortisol levels.

Both are high and low Cortisol levels Also known as the “stress hormone”- it can let you deal with the symptoms that make you feel “phrase” and unlike yourself. The good news is that there are ways to better manage stress levels. If you think you have a cortisol imbalance or are generally interested in your health, be sure to consult a doctor first so that you can do appropriate exams.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol The basic stress hormone says, he says Melissa Groves AzaruRegistered Nutritionist and author of a balanced approach to PCOS. The hormone is produced in the adrenal glands in response to internal or external pressures.

Most people know the cortisol about its role in the response of “fighting or flying”, which is important, but the cortisol really plays a lot Other roles In the body.

In addition to curbing any body functions unnecessary in the fighting or flying scenario, cortisol also:

The majority of your body cells contain cortisol receptors, so it is an important hormone, but like any hormone, it can be a lot of hormones or a little of it is harmful to your body and health.

Signs of defect in cortisol

Each person’s experience will differ with cortisol defect, especially when distinguishing between high and low cortisol.

High symptoms of cortisol include:

• Weight gain, especially in the abdomen area
• Anxiety and irritation
• A problem with sleeping and staying asleep
• Nervousness
• Fragile
• High heart rate
• Blood sugar and instability

Symptoms of low cortisol include:

• Low energy throughout the day
• Feeling “wireless but tired”
• Extreme fatigue and lack of focus
• The desire for sugar and salt
• Indifference
• Low sexual desire
• Memory problems

What causes cortisol defect?

“In general, a cortisol imbalance can occur due to very high stress or prolonged stress,” Azero says. While there are high clinical diagnoses (Kushing syndromeAnd decrease (Edison disease), Which requires a medical treatment, there is a large group of “out of” cortisol “or inappropriate cortisol patterns that can affect our daily life.

More importantly, cortisol imbalances are not always a simple or low issue. The presence of an imbalance in the cortisol can also mean that your cortisol is very high at certain times of the day or very low at other times, instead of excess or fixed deficiency.

Regardless, there are some common perpetrators behind the cortisol imbalances of each type.

pressure

Excessive and long stress is the main cause of the cortisol imbalance, whether it is high or low.

The high cortisol says when the body looks at pressure. ” Dr. Tara ScottCareer doctor. “Your mind does not know if you work from a bear or have a deadline at work.”

The excessive cortisol increases the heart rate, makes you more alert by increasing the light (nervous carrier that can make you feel anxious) and increases your blood sugar.

“The low cortisol occurs after the prolonged stress, when your body sends a signal of negative reactions to the brain,” Skri says: “We have a lot of cortisol here, do not stimulate more production! Therefore, your mind reduces the cortical shell (ACTH, the hormone that stimulates the production of cortisol), and occurs periods of low cortisol. Scott says levels may fluctuate during the day or can be low throughout the day.

Practicing

Estress, or a good stress, as Azaru says – is somewhat. “While there is an immediate increase in cortisol with exercise, the total effect is to improve the mood and low stress. But if we are Excessive exercise“The pressure becomes harmful,” she says.

Azzaro recommends that you generalize your life in general when planning the exercise system. If you do not get enough sleep and you are fighting high pressure at work, this may not be the best time to integrate a high -density exercise, Ezo explained.

“If you find yourself getting sick often or you feel exhausted after exercise, instead of activating you, you are likely to work hard on current cortisol levels,” she says.

feeding

Lauren Mennation, registered dietitian, registered nutritional advisor to Fresh. “Unknated foods rich in carbohydrates and sugar immediately help reduce cortisol at the beginning, but the high blood sugar resulting from these foods can increase stress, inflammation and cortisol in the body,” says Minchain.

“Sugar is known as one of the largest cortisol players, and foods with refined white flour produces a similar effect of sugar in the blood and the effect of cortisol, so eating high foods in these ingredients regularly may lead to high cortisol over time.”

Alcohol and Caffeine It also affects your cortisol levels, and the consumption of many or both over time affects the levels of cortisol. Alcohol increases inflammation, which puts tension on the body, which leads to the production of cortisol. Mining says that withdrawal from poisoning also stimulates more cortisol in the bloodstream.

“Depending on the amount of coffee that one drinks regularly and the high levels of daily cortisol, the increase in caffeine intake may have a little or no effect on increasing the cortisol more,” says Minchain. “This effect may lead to more fatigue than more caffeine, due to the adrenal fatigue. The adrenal gland can only work hard before you are not able to continue to increase the production of cortisol.”

On the other hand, eating healthy carbohydrates for whole foods can provide such whole grains, fresh fruits, legumes and potatoes, help in managing cortisol. Also, consuming a balanced amount Protein, carbohydrates and fats Menchen says that your body helps you get the energy it needs to maintain the level of blood sugar available and stable, which eventually helps to keep the cortisol under control.

How to fix high or low cortisol levels

“It is not very exciting, but your body asks you to rest. The dirty action of correcting the cortisol defect is to determine the root cause of the imbalance and then correct this to restore the cortisol balance,” says Azaru.

We discussed the general causes of the cortisol defect above, but the pits are deeper. Go to the past “diet” or “exercise” and ask yourself whether your hormone levels are angry because of:

• Your work
• Relationship stress (important or family)
• Culture of crowding/do a lot
• Lack of sleep
• A lot of a type of exercise (perhaps Welcome))
• Alcohol or caffeine consumption
• Lack of vigilance or stress management practices

Also, it is important to identify you A specific defectHe says Ena MilamidPharmacist and functional doctor. Ask the primary care provider if he is performing hormonal tests or if they can obtain a referral to the endocrine specialist. Or request a cortisol test online to take at home and send it to a laboratory.

This step is very important because what works to correct the high level of cortisol may not work to correct the low level of cortisol. To reach the root cause, “the test must be for both cortisol, DHEA“Sex hormones and even melatonin simply to see a better image of the individual’s adrenal health,” says Milamid.

Fixing the cortisol defect will take a lot of work and patience. First of all, get a rest. When you feel comfortable, try to create a list of all possible pressure in your life – and be honest.

After that, write how you can reduce all pressure. It may reduce the weekly exercise routine from five to four sessions; You may have a serious conversation with your partner about stress levels and home responsibilities; You may ask your boss to reduce your pregnancy at a period of time (or even better, take some time completely).

High or low cortisol levels can make life much more difficult. Fighting persistent tension, anxiety and fatigue is not easy, and as always, if you need mental health support, Use the resources available to you.