Cortisol is a complex hormone responsible for many things. I am providing the article below to give you a brief overview so you have a basic understanding of what it is, how it works and how important it is.
Cortisol is a life sustaining adrenal hormone essential to the maintenance of homeostasis. Called “the stress hormone,” cortisol influences, regulates or modulates many of the changes that occur in the body in response to stress. Cortisol levels normally fluctuate throughout the day and night in a circadian rhythm that peaks at about 8 AM and reaches its lowest around 4 AM. While it is vital to health for the adrenals to secrete more cortisol in response to stress, it is also very important that bodily functions and cortisol levels return to normal following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the stress response is activated so often that the body does not always have a chance to return to normal.* This can lead to health problems resulting from too much circulating cortisol and/or too little. When the adrenal glands become chronically fatigued, higher and more prolonged levels of circulating cortisol (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:
Impaired cognitive performance
Dampened thyroid function
Blood sugar imbalances (hyperglycemia)
Decreased bone density
Sleep disruption
Decreased muscle mass
Elevated blood pressure
Lowered immune function
Slow wound healing
Increased abdominal fat. Fat stored in this area has a stronger correlation to certain health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL).
Chronically lower levels of circulating cortisol (as in adrenal fatigue) have been associated with negative effects, such as;
Brain fog (cloudy-headedness and mild depression)
Low thyroid function
Blood sugar imbalances, such as hypoglycemia
Fatigue – especially morning and mid-afternoon fatigue
Sleep disruption
Low blood pressure
Lowered immune function
Inflammation
Armed with this information, you should have your cortisol levels checked along with your other blood work whenever you have routine health exams. Many doctors do not routinely test cortisol levels so be sure to ask to have it included.
I frequently review a patients’ blood panel including cortisol levels to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a person’s overall health.
If you would like to discuss your blood work, including your cortisol levels, or are looking to treat any other health issue or injury, you can call my office at (561) 272-7816 for a free consultation.
Dr.Edward Scarlett
Cert. Ac Dipl. Ac
Acupuncture Physician
Cortisol is a life sustaining adrenal hormone essential to the maintenance of homeostasis. Called “the stress hormone,” cortisol influences, regulates or modulates many of the changes that occur in the body in response to stress. Cortisol levels normally fluctuate throughout the day and night in a circadian rhythm that peaks at about 8 AM and reaches its lowest around 4 AM. While it is vital to health for the adrenals to secrete more cortisol in response to stress, it is also very important that bodily functions and cortisol levels return to normal following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the stress response is activated so often that the body does not always have a chance to return to normal.* This can lead to health problems resulting from too much circulating cortisol and/or too little. When the adrenal glands become chronically fatigued, higher and more prolonged levels of circulating cortisol (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:
Impaired cognitive performance
Dampened thyroid function
Blood sugar imbalances (hyperglycemia)
Decreased bone density
Sleep disruption
Decreased muscle mass
Elevated blood pressure
Lowered immune function
Slow wound healing
Increased abdominal fat. Fat stored in this area has a stronger correlation to certain health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL).
Chronically lower levels of circulating cortisol (as in adrenal fatigue) have been associated with negative effects, such as;
Brain fog (cloudy-headedness and mild depression)
Low thyroid function
Blood sugar imbalances, such as hypoglycemia
Fatigue – especially morning and mid-afternoon fatigue
Sleep disruption
Low blood pressure
Lowered immune function
Inflammation
Armed with this information, you should have your cortisol levels checked along with your other blood work whenever you have routine health exams. Many doctors do not routinely test cortisol levels so be sure to ask to have it included.
I frequently review a patients’ blood panel including cortisol levels to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a person’s overall health.
If you would like to discuss your blood work, including your cortisol levels, or are looking to treat any other health issue or injury, you can call my office at (561) 272-7816 for a free consultation.
Dr.Edward Scarlett
Cert. Ac Dipl. Ac
Acupuncture Physician
