8 Signs Of Cortisol Overload

7. Sex Drive Driven Off

Cortisol is the ultimate ‘downer’, literally. When stress hormones are high, testosterone and other libido-inducing hormones drop….pardon the pun!

8. Physical Pain and Illness

Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands, which get depleted and drained over long periods of time of high level cortisol production. This then raises prolactin levels, which increase the body’s sensitivity and the brain’s response to pain. This means even the slightest twinge can excite the nerves of the brain, causing headaches, or a back or muscle ache which would’ve been tolerable in a low stress period, becomes almost unbearable.

Your gastrointestinal system is also very sensitive to high levels of cortisol, resulting in nausea, heartburn, cramps, constipation, diarrhoea, ulcers and other stomach issues.

Small levels of stress are unavoidable and even healthy in the human body. However, high levels of stress and cortisol production can lead to major health concerns, including adrenal fatigue and obesity. It is important for those more sensitive to stress to try and maintain a low-stress lifestyle, or adopt lifestyle changes and strategies to manage their stress.

Sources: http://lissarankin.com/ and http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm

Are you experiencing cortisol overload?

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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