Cortisol is a type of hormone, called a corticosteroid hormone, produced by the body. You may have heard cortisol called the “stress” hormone since it is true that people produce greater levels of it under significant stress and especially during a “fight or flight” reaction. The adrenal gland, which is responsible for producing cortisol, does create it at varied levels throughout the day. You’ll tend to have the most available cortisol in the morning and it wanes as the day progresses.

There are a few things that this “stress hormone” does that are very positive. It helps to reduce inflammation, and chemical reproductions of this hormone are called hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone can be used topically to treat inflammatory skin condition or it can be used in injectable form to reduce inflamed tissue. It’s a very beneficial treatment under many circumstances.

Additional benefits of cortisol include its ability to make sure needed sodium is not lost. It can also be helpful in increasing short-term memory. Another function of cortisol is to help the liver remove toxins from the body.

However, this hormone does some very unhelpful things too. Chief among these are to raise blood pressure, lower bone density, reduce immune response and have a potential effect on blood serum levels of glucose. When cortisol is fairly regulated and not produced in high amounts, these effects tend not to adversely affect health. For those with high levels of stress, presence of extra amounts of this hormone may be very problematic, and the hormone can even reduce serotonin, which helps to provide a sense of well-being and calm.

Abnormally high or abnormally low levels of this hormone are called hypercortisolism and hypocortisolism, respectively. Hypercortisolism can cause Cushing’s syndrome which results in ultra-rapid weight gain, excess perspiration, easy bruising and may cause psychological disorders. Hypocortisolism causes Addison’s disease, which can result in major weight loss, significant muscle pains, mood instability, and fatigue. One treatment for this condition is to give oral hydrocortisone.

Unless Cushing’s or Addison’s disease are suspected, people usually don’t have tests for this hormone, especially if they are not exhibiting any symptoms that would suggest high or low levels of cortisol. There are some studies regarding the merits of looking at these hormone levels if a person has significantly reduced bone density. Sometimes people do produce the hormone in larger amounts. Many pregnant women have higher cortisol levels, and of course illness and high stress can boost production.

Due to the fact that this corticosteroid hormone may be produced in unhealthy amounts when you are under a great deal of stress, it makes sense to try to reduce stress. Learning to relax through a variety of methods, avoiding high stress situations when you can, and even getting some therapy can potentially help you be less anxious. Getting exercise on a regular basis may also assist in reducing the levels of this hormone, provided these levels are not abnormally high due to malfunction of the adrenal gland.