Common Causes of High Cortisol
High cortisol levels can result from unresolved stress, chronic conditions like depression and anxiety, substance abuse, and medical issues such as Cushing’s syndrome.
Unresolved Stressor
Certain populations may be at higher risk for increased cortisol especially for those experience major life traumas (PTSD) or have a substance use disorder. If chronic stress is causing elevated cortisol, behaviour changes to help manage stress can help you lower cortisol levels.
Chronic Alcohol Abuse, Depression, and Anxiety
These conditions can also all contribute to heightened cortisol levels, similar to how chronic stress can raise cortisol.
Cushing’s Syndrome
This condition is the result of high levels for a long time. Cushing’s syndrome can lead to many other health issues. Cushing’s syndrome can be causes by taking large doses of certain medications, such as steroid, some tumors (including pituitary gland tumors and other neuroendocrine tumors, like certain types of lung cancer) can produce a cortisol-producing hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which can cause cortisol levels to be high.
What Are the Symptoms of High Cortisol?
High cortisol levels can lead to both physical and emotional symptoms that often go unnoticed at first.
- Disrupted sleep has been linked to having higher cortisol levels, whether it's an inability to get to sleep, or falling asleep and then waking up in the middle of the night
- Physical changes, such as weight gain in your face and midsection, excessive hair growth, a fatty lump between your shoulders, and purple, stretch marks on your abdomen, are commonly found among people with high cortisol.
- Increased irritability may be a signal, too as in, you find yourself snapping at people or overreacting to spilled coffee
- Craving sugary, salty, and fat-filled foods can be a sign. ‘It may be [a way of] trying to soothe that discomfort that you’re feeling that you might not be able to put your finger on’
- Headaches or fatigue are some other physical symptoms that can result from elevated cortisol levels. Feeling weak in your arms and legs (particularly upper arms and thighs) may be hints, too.
- High blood pressure, high blood sugar, and weak bones are difficult for you to see, but can be a sign of high cortisol. These all can be detected from medical health screening.
How to Test Cortisol Levels?
Most primary care providers will not routinely administer a test for cortisol levels. And unfortunately, there’s no at-home test to make sure your cortisol levels are in check.
So, when should you be concerned about the symptoms above? And when should you advocate for yourself at your doctor’s office?
Many of these signs and symptoms — irritability, trouble sleeping, a predilection for junk food — are ones that can be linked to a variety of health issues.
There are a few different ways to go about testing, and it typically calls for more than a one-time straightforward test because levels fluctuate during the day. Instead, your doctor may order one of the following:
Blood Test
This test can help diagnose adrenal insufficiency, as well as Cushing’s syndrome – but there are variations to the test depending on which condition your doctor is testing for.
ACTH Stimulation Test
This test measures how well the adrenal glands respond to ACTH (a hormone produced in the pituitary gland that stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol).
Urine Test
You collect all of your urine over a 24-hour period and return it to your doctor’s office or lab to be tested. (This is used to screen for Cushing’s syndrome, but not adrenal insufficiency.)
4 Evidence Backed Ways to Lower Cortisol Levels
There are several proven lifestyle changes that can help naturally reduce cortisol levels and manage stress effectively.
Focus on Healthier Foods
Avoid highly processed foods and instead choose single-ingredient foods as often as possible. This is one of the way to help your metabolism and your digestive system, which is something cortisol can influence
Based on the evidence of research study, found a link between a high glycemic index (GI) – a measurement of how fast a food elevates your blood sugar diet and increased cortisol levels. (High-GI foods include many highly processed ones, like sugary drinks, refined carbs, and fast food. Other research has found a link between eating high-calorie foods and an immediate increase in cortisol level
Try Meditating
For long-term reduction in your cortisol levels, meditation may help. Evidence supports that if keep up the habit, you can increase your tolerance for uncertainty, anxiety, and the unexpected.
Research suggests that mindfulness meditation is an effective tool for lowering cortisol levels, and that the difference was especially stark in those the study authors deemed “at risk,” defined here as “highly stressed people or populations with diseases that are susceptible to stress, such as mental disorders and somatic illnesses like inflammatory diseases or diabetes.”
Get Some Sleep
In one study, participants either had a normal night of sleep or were subjected to a night of sleep deprivation. The following day, all study subjects were made to perform a stressful task. The researchers found elevated cortisol levels in the sleep-deprived people compared with those who’d slept normally.
Enjoy Art — or Try Making Some Yourself
Whether you’re losing yourself in music or works of art or making it yourself, enjoying art is a classic stress reliever. In one study, participants either listened to relaxing classical music, the sound of rippling water, or nothing at all. After performing a stressful task, participants who had listened to music had faster reductions in their cortisol levels than those who listened to nature sounds or who sat in silence. Other research found that art-making (in 45-minute sessions) was linked to lower cortisol levels after participating in the activity compared with cortisol measurements beforehand.
Keep Cortisol in Check, Keep Life in Balance
Cortisol is essential for managing stress but when levels remain high over time it can quietly disrupt your physical emotional and mental well-being. Understanding the causes recognising the symptoms and making simple lifestyle changes are key steps to restoring balance and protecting your overall health.
At GHHS Healthcare, our comprehensive health screenings are designed to detect early signs of hormonal imbalances including elevated cortisol levels. Prioritise your well-being today by scheduling your health screening with GHHS Healthcare and take the first step towards a healthier more balanced life.
