Stress triggers the release of cortisol similar to caffeine, and stimulates your entire nervous system
Daily stress, whether you are aware of it or not, can be detrimental to your health in the long run. Not only does it take a toll on you mentally but it also increases high cortisol levels, which also affects your physical health. While everyone has high cortisol from time to time, and levels vary throughout the day, there are a few weird and unusual signs that can help you figure out what’s wrong.
When your body consistently makes too much cortisol, it indicates an underlying health issue. Doctors refer to high cortisol as Cushing syndrome or hypercortisolism. Here is how you can recognise the symptoms and potential causes.
Eye twitches
According to studies, stress triggers the release of cortisol, similar to caffeine, and stimulates your entire nervous system. Usually, they are harmless, but often the first physical sign is that stress is taking its toll.
Because the muscles around our eyes are small and weak, they’re the “first responders” to elevated cortisol levels.
Random bruises
Unexplained bruises all over your body could be a sign that your cortisol levels are way too high. According to experts, elevated cortisol levels weaken structural proteins in the skin, making it thinner and more fragile.
Bloating
Too much cortisol in your body can mess with your body’s salt and water balance, causing fluid retention and bloating. If you are stressed, you may also overeat, which can also contribute to bloating.
Vision loss
High cortisol levels can also put your vision at risk, as when they spike, it disrupts blood flow from your eyes to the brain, causing vision issues. Elevated cortisol also increases pressure within the eye, which over time raises the risk of developing glaucoma.
Tinnitus
Apart from other eye problems that you may have, constant ringing in your ears could also mean that your stress levels are too high. Doctors say elevated cortisol messes with the auditory system, impacting blood flow, nerve function, and inflammation—leading to tinnitus, which makes you hear sounds like ringing, buzzing, and hissing.
Hair loss
Elevated cortisol levels lead to heavy hair loss—to the point you can go bald. According to studies, high stress forces follicle stem cells into a prolonged resting phase, preventing new hair from growing.
Chest pain
There are times you may be facing unexplained chest pains, which are not related to heart issues. Doctors say high cortisol elevates blood pressure, narrows arteries, and disrupts heart rhythms, increasing discomfort. Also, anxiety or panic attacks, triggered by high cortisol, can lead to chest pain that feels eerily similar to a heart attack.
Early exhaustion
If you have been feeling exhausted by early afternoon despite adequate rest, it could mean that your cortisol levels are pretty high. Experts say cortisol peaks in the morning to help you wake up and stay alert, then drops in the evening to signal it is time to take a rest. Constant stress throws this natural rhythm completely out of whack.
Fever and hot flashes
Feeling body aches, down, and high temperature—all these are signs of high cortisol levels—that lead to high stress. When cortisol levels increase, they begin to mess with how your brain begins to respond to estrogen and trigger hot flashes.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.
