The human body works like a machine. And every machine has parts that, together, make the system as a whole work. Thus, if something is wrong with a piece separately, the whole organism suffers, and its progress does not occur perfectly.
Hormones are a type of substance produced by our body, which act to control several functions. With that, our body will always remain strong and healthy, and functioning properly.
Cortisol is one of those parts that make up the human body, and for that reason, both its increase and decrease can cause significant problems for your health.
Do you think you have a hormonal problem and were told it might be low cortisol? Continue reading this article and learn all about the action of this hormone in your body.
What is Cortisol?
It is one of the hormones of the human body, it is a steroid and has a role in the metabolism of proteins and lipids. In addition, it acts directly in maintaining blood pressure.
Another function of cortisol is to regulate the immune system, and to help regulate blood glucose levels. Therefore, it needs to be in our body in the ideal amount for everything to work well.
If cortisol levels decrease, the whole body will feel the consequences, as this is an extremely important hormone for the human body.
What is the Effect of Cortisol on the Body?
The function of this hormone in the body is to regulate and control stress, decrease inflammation in the body, help maintain the immune system and maintain regular sugar levels.
Cortisol levels are not constant, they vary throughout the day and depend on the relationship with serotonin.
First of all, to understand the consequences when cortisol is at a very low level, it is necessary to know each symptom that this problem causes in the human body, without the existence of other related problems.
- Fatigue
Cortisol impairs the process of muscle contractions and, therefore, causes fatigue.
- Anemia and frequent infections
The decrease in this hormone impairs the formation of some blood cells, and this directly impairs immunity.
- High fever
Because the body, when feeling some inflammation can show signs of this in the form of an increase in temperature.
- Lack of appetite
This hormone causes a decrease in hunger in the body.
- Hypoglycemia
The decrease in this hormone makes it more difficult for the liver to release blood sugar.
- Low pressure
The decrease in cortisol impairs regulation in the vessels that supply the heart.
- Joint or muscle pain
Changing cortisol levels can cause tenderness and weakness in these locations.
Pregnant Women and What Happens When Cortisol Is Too Low
Pregnant Women
For pregnant women, it is also important that cortisol does not have very low levels. For, if this problem is not treated, the development of the fetus may be impaired.
The baby’s organs that are most likely to suffer from decreased cortisol are the brain, eyes and lungs. If the pregnant woman notices the recurrence of some of these symptoms mentioned above, she should contact her doctor immediately, so that he can check the condition.
What Causes Low Cortisol?
In order for you to understand what are the causes of low cortisol, you must first understand that what is the cause of the problem, and that it is found in the gland responsible for its production, which is the adrenal gland.
Malfunctioning of this gland can occur due to infection, inflammation, the presence of tumor cells, or brain cancer.
