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Signs of High Cortisol

Hormones are substances that control activities of parts of the body, affecting growth, development and reproduction. Cortisol is the hormone inserted into the blood by the adrenal glands to regulate blood sugar levels, blood pressure, muscle strength, inflammation and the immune system. Cortisol helps control your body's use of potassium, protein, carbohydrates and fat, and balances the amounts of salt and water in the body. When you are sick or stressed, your body releases high levels of cortisol, which can affect you physically, mentally and emotionally.

  1. Physical Signs

    • Excess cortisol causes weight gain, especially around the abdomen, that is very difficult to lose. Fat pads can develop on the upper back. When high cortisol levels suppress the immune system you are more likely to develop infections. Your skin thins and you bruise more easily. Skin becomes flabby, ages faster and your face may become rounder. Cortisol can circulate calcium from the bones back into the bloodstream, making bones weaker and causing osteoporosis. You can experience increased thirst and need to urinate and you may develop high blood pressure or high blood sugar. Stretch marks, muscle weakness, fatigue, increased pigmentation, excess scar tissue, chronic yeast infections and water retention can indicate high levels of cortisol.

    Mental Signs

    • High cortisol levels can cause changes in your mental state. Cortisol diverts blood from the brain to muscles, decreasing the amount of energy the brain receives. This interferes with the ability to process information, create new memories and remember words, names and numbers. It is more difficult to think and make decisions and traumatic events are hard to recall. According to The Franklin Institute Resources for Science Learning, studies done at Stanford University by Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky show that exposure to cortisol speeds up aging in parts of the brain that control cortisol production, causing more damage to memory and cognitive function.

    Emotional Signs

    • Changes in a person's emotional state may occur as a result of changes in the electrical activity of the brain's neurons caused by high cortisol levels. You may have trouble sleeping, low tolerance levels, and may experience depression or bursts of anger. High cortisol levels can cause anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, social phobia and separation anxiety. You can be become moody and irritable.

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