You’ve likely been through a rough patch in your life where, for a week or a month, or possibly several months, you woke up and experienced a lot of stress or worry. In that case, you likely had high cortisol levels.
When people hear the word ‘cortisol,’ they often think of stress, and that’s because it’s known as the body’s stress hormone. Interestingly, cortisol is not a bad thing. In fact, we need certain levels of cortisol in our bodies to keep ourselves alive and well, because it helps us manage our stress and react to it. However, when we experience high levels of cortisol because we’re under too much stress, or there’s something else going on with our body, it can cause our bodily functions to get out of whack, and you may experience some unpleasant symptoms. We spoke with Dr. Brynna Connor, a board-certified family medicine physician with North West Pharmacy, about four “concerning” signs that your cortisol levels are too high, and how to reverse them. Read more about them below.
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1. Swollen or Puffy Face
One of the most commonly talked about symptoms of high cortisol levels is a puffy or swollen face, sometimes referred to as 'moon face,' or even just 'cortisol face' on social media. Dr. Connor notes that "chronic or persistent facial puffiness, particularly around the jawline, cheeks, and/or under the eyes" is a frequent and common sign of stress and elevated cortisol in the body.
"Unlike temporary swelling, puffiness in these areas could be a sign of long-term fluid retention and/or metabolic issues that can be caused by increased cortisol," she adds.
2. Unexplained Weight Gain
When people get super stressed from some kind of major life event or a depressive, stressful episode in their lives, they're a lot more likely to pack on some pounds. It's extremely frustrating, especially for those who try to maintain a healthy diet while stressed out, and seeing your body change can cause even more stress. As it turns out, it really is all linked.
"High levels of cortisol can disrupt metabolism and lead to weight gain," says Dr. Connor. "Weight gain associated with high cortisol is typically found in the midsection because the body promotes the storage of visceral fat (a type of fat deeper inside the body) to surround and protect the internal organs, and serve as an energy resource."
3. Muscle Weakness & Thinning Skin
You might not expect it, but when you're dealing with high cortisol levels, your muscles can sort of 'go rogue' on you and weaken over time. The same goes for your skin, which can also get thinner.
"Muscle weakness and thinning skin could be symptoms of something more serious than simply elevated cortisol levels due to stress – these could indicate cortisol-related health disorders such as Cushing's syndrome, which is a hormone disorder that can be caused by adrenal tumors, pituitary gland problems, and/or medications, and requires medical attention," notes Dr. Connor.
4. Elevated Blood Pressure Levels
If you have a blood pressure monitor at home or go to the doctor's and notice that your blood pressure is higher, it's certainly a "concerning" sign you shouldn't ignore, and could be related to cortisol.
"High blood pressure and fatigue can also be an indication of elevated cortisol levels," explains Dr. Connor. "High blood pressure can be due to chronic stress and/or a sustained 'fight-or-flight' response, as well as adrenal issues, while fatigue can be a symptom of disrupted sleep due to high cortisol levels, which subsequently causes an energy imbalance."
How You Can Reverse These Symptoms
One of the best ways to even out your body's cortisol levels is to, you guessed it, lower your stress levels as often as you can. While so much of stress management can feel out of our control, there are certainly things you can control, like your lifestyle habits and how you choose to calm down throughout the day.
"In terms of lifestyle adjustments, practicing stress management techniques such as mindfulness (meditation, journaling, and/or deep breathing), engaging in regular physical activity, and/or improving sleep hygiene with things like a consistent sleep-wake schedule, reduced screen time, or even a dark room are all things that are easy to start incorporating," says Dr. Connor.
