Cortisol is one of the many effects that we find in the human body that biological mechanisms carved during millions of years of natural selection can lead to health problems in some circumstances.
And although in most cases this hormone helps us know how to adapt to life’s challenges, sometimes the way we manage our behavior and our emotions affects these body processes, causing them to come between us. and a good quality of life.
That’s what we’ll talk about in this article: the ways in which cortisol can harm our body
Cortisol is a type of molecule produced by the body and has both physical effects on the body and psychological effects on people’s behavior and way of feeling. Specifically, this hormone is part of a group of substances known as corticosteroids, which They are secreted in high quantities by the body in situations in which a stress response is activated to situations that pose a challenge for the person (or that are perceived as such).
It is secreted by the adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys and whose main function is to release certain types of hormones into the bloodstream mainly according to the orders that come from the brain.
That is, cortisol is one of the types of substances generated by the body whose function is “adjust” the functioning of the organism to potentially dangerous contexts or in which there is a certain risk to avoid And the human body has several mechanisms to modify its functioning according to the priorities that emerge from the environment, and one of them is the stress response.
How can experiencing high levels of cortisol harm our bodies?
The link between cortisol and stress is so important that when this molecule is produced in very high quantities in situations of acute stress, it is capable of affecting our hypothalamus to the point that our ability to generate long-term memories is inhibited. This explains why some people, when suffering experiences such as a traffic accident or the sudden death of a loved one, have problems remembering what happened even if they never became unconscious.
But The effects of cortisol linked to the stress mechanism are not only psychological and can significantly harm various biological processes in different parts of the body, although these types of phenomena are not so “spectacular” and many are not noticed until several weeks have passed while suffering from high stress.
It is clear that Cortisol is not in itself bad for your health (it can hardly be, taking into account that it is a hormone generated by the body), but in certain circumstances in which day-to-day problems overwhelm us emotionally, when it is secreted in high quantities for a long time, it can contribute to wearing down our quality of life. life and, in the medium and long term, it can damage the body. Here we will see the different ways in which it does it.
As cortisol makes the priority the ability to react quickly to situations that pose a problem in our environment, functions with more medium and long-term goals are relegated. Therefore, while this hormone is secreted in large quantities, Our immune system loses effectiveness and our exposure to inflammatory processes increases
2. Slows down bone formation
As cortisol causes the body’s resources to be directed to “bailing water” in complicated situations, part of the elements that would be destined to form and maintain cellular tissues are destined for this stress reaction. This is what largely happens with bone cells, so that after a time of great stress, bones become weak
3. It wears down the performance of the nervous system
As cortisol predisposes us to have a more activated brain than normal, if the situation is prolonged, this affects our ability to concentrate, our ability to remember, and also exposes us to insomnia problems which physically affect the brain and favor the elimination of connections between neurons in key areas of the brain associated with executive functions.
4. Predisposes to hyperglycemia
Another characteristic of cortisol is that limits the effects of insulin so that it contributes to the accumulation of glucose in the blood.
5. Decreases collagen production
Cortisol limits the effects of cortisol, a very important protein especially in connective tissue areas of the body. This is especially noticeable in the condition of the skin, something that explains a very visible phenomenon: those who have suffered a lot of stress for months or years experience a greater rate of aging reflected in the state of the skin
Similar to other cells in the body, cortisol causes muscle fibers to weaken due to the reorientation of proteins towards other functions associated with the stress response.
Do you need professional psychological assistance to manage stress?
If you are looking for psychological intervention services, I encourage you to contact me.
My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral model. I serve individuals and companies in person in Madrid and through online sessions by video call.
