Cortisol( hydrocortisone) is a hormone that produces the adrenal cortex. Thanks to him, the metabolism in the human body is regulated. Also this hormone is called stress. After all, it is produced in the body as a result of reaction to any nervous shocks. However, with increased physical activity, hydrocortisone can also increase.
To determine whether this hormone is normal in humans is possible only by analysis. And very often, after seeing the results, people can not decipher them and understand what to look for.
Norm of cortisol level indicators
In normal body condition, i.e.emotional and physical tranquility, the level of cortisol is within 10 mg. But with any nervous shocks the level of this hormone reaches 80 mg. With the strongest stresses, it can increase very much, even up to 180 mg. It is believed that such an increase in hydrocortisone occurs in human shock states.
Reasons for increasing
The main reasons why cortisol can be increased in the body are two - endogenous( internal) and functional.
Endogenous cause of
Endogenous cause can also be divided conditionally into two groups.
The so-called dependent form refers to the first. Adrenocorticotropic hormone of the pituitary leads to increased adrenal work. As a result, there is an increased level of cortisol in the blood of a person. This is the result:
- long enough to receive synthetic analogues of pituitary hormones;
- if a person has such a disease as the Itenko-Cushing disease, which occurs as a result of any lesions of the brain and pituitary gland. It is determined when studying the amount of cortisol in the human urine;
- is an ectopic ACTH syndrome. With this disease, the secretion of ACTH is increased, which leads to an increase in the work of the adrenal cortex. As a result, cortisol rises.
The second group includes an independent form, in which there is an increased level of hydrocortisone in the blood. To the reasons it is possible to carry
- the primary form of hyperplasia of adrenals;
- carcinoma or adrenal adrenal gland.
As can be seen in the internal causes of elevated cortisol levels, both in men and in women are diseases associated with hormonal disorders of the body.
Functional Cause
Functional Cause. Very often during the examination, the endogenous causes of the elevated level of the hormone cortisol are not found. However, in addition to this, there are other diseases that can affect this. In this case, they speak of functional hypercorticism. It is caused by:
- obesity;
- liver disease;
- anorexia nervosa;
- in women, elevated cortisol often occurs during pregnancy;
- persistent depression and stressful conditions will also lead to the fact that this hormone will be at a sufficiently high level in the body;
- AIDS in adults is also often the cause of an increased hormone;
- uncompensated diabetes mellitus;
- hypoglycemia is a reduced amount of glucose in the blood. The causes of elevated cortisol are diverse. And very often a person learns about this only when he passes the tests.
Signs of elevated cortisol
As with any disease, there are various symptoms that cortisol is elevated. These include the following:
- The person begins to be haunted by headaches and painful sensations in the back area. With constantly elevated cortisol, the thyroid gland is depleted, which leads to a decrease in the formation of the prolactin hormone.
- The high content of hydrocortisone in the blood in people can cause insomnia. The fact is that under normal body conditions the amount of this hormone should decrease by night.
- People with high levels of cortisol hormone very often experience a decline in strength. Fatigue occurs constantly, even with very little physical exertion.
- Another symptom is a rapid increase in body weight, while eating in humans is normal, and the sides and abdomen continue to grow.
- Cortisol also affects the body's immune system. Therefore, a person with an increased amount of this hormone is prone to frequent colds.
- Because of the high amount of hydrocortisone in the body, the amount of sugar in the blood can increase. Insulin begins to "jump", because of this, people constantly want a sweet or fatty food.
- The constantly elevated level of this hormone leads to disorders in the digestive tract - it can be heartburn, constant eructations, nausea, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
- The increase in cortisol in the female body is manifested in the fact that the monthly cycle may be disrupted. Appearance of hair in the male type.
- The child's high content of hormone leads to increased blood pressure, blood sugar levels. Children become irritable, weight often increases, and even a fatty hump between the shoulder blades may appear.
- And of course, elevated cortisol greatly affects the amount of serotonin in the body. It just goes down. Because of this, people are in constant depression and have a feeling of depression.
Symptoms are numerous, however, this does not mean that all of them appear at once. If you suddenly have any suspicions, it is best to see a doctor.
The level of free cortisol in the body is usually determined in "daily urine".During the day, it is necessary to collect all the urine leaving the body. Then everything is handed over to the laboratory, where the level of hormones is determined.
Very often, women are assigned urine and blood tests and for hormones such as prolactin and TTG.The fact is that often their excess or decrease leads to the inability to become pregnant .For example, prolactin is also called a stress hormone. And if a person is persecuted by a prolonged depression, then he begins to be developed completely uncontrollably. Which in turn can lead to negative consequences, and even tumors. And for men, for example, the high content of this hormone leads to a decrease in sexual desire and impotence. In addition, he is responsible for metabolic processes in the body.
Together with the analysis of urine and blood to determine the amount of prolactin, doctors usually prescribe an analysis for TSH( thyroid-stimulating hormone), as they are interrelated. The fact is that thanks to TTG the thyroid gland produces hormones. If her work is disturbed, it can lead to hyperprolactinemia( ie, increased prolactin).It is worth knowing that is the norm for both men and women over 14 years of age is considered a TSH score of 0.4 to 4 units .But the child under 14 years of age will be slightly different.
Treatment of
If, suddenly, high levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood or urine are detected in the assays, the physicians will definitely prescribe the correct treatment. Medications are usually used. However, first of all, it is worth trying to eliminate the main causes.
- it is necessary to limit the consumption of coffee, soda water, energy drinks;
- need to give your body a full rest, sleep at least 7-8 hours a day;
- should consume food rich in protein, such as eggs, cottage cheese, dairy products. The fact is that an increased amount of cortisol leads to the destruction of protein. And this affects the muscle tissue. It is not necessary to follow a very strict diet, but to limit yourself in sweets and fatty dishes costs;
- if suddenly there are any signs that this hormone is elevated in the body, then it is worth taking any complexes containing vitamins B and C, licorice root infusions, pink radioles;
- , however, the most important in the treatment is, of course, that it is necessary to avoid stress situations whenever possible and rest more.
Do not panic if an elevated cortisol level is found in the assays. Doctors will definitely appoint the right and suitable treatment.
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