Cortisol is a hormone produced naturally by the adrenal glands. Helps to control metabolism, regulates blood pressure and promotes the proper functioning of the immune system; therefore it is essential to be able to keep it at adequate levels. A deficiency in this hormone is a serious problem and can be an indication that the adrenal glands are not functioning properly. Read on to learn how to increase production to stay healthy.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Determine if You Have a Low Cortisol Level
Step 1. Check for symptoms of a cortisol deficiency
Most of the time people worry that they have too high a cortisol level, because when it is high it can cause weight gain, fatigue, and other more serious symptoms. But know that having too little of it can be just as dangerous to your health. If the adrenal glands are damaged, the body is unable to produce enough cortisol to properly regulate blood pressure and the immune system. Here is a list of some of the most common symptoms of this hormone deficiency:
- Weight loss and reduced appetite
- Arterial hypotension
- Fainting
- Feeling of fatigue
- Low energy levels even after resting
- Vomiting, nausea and gastrointestinal pain
- Craving for salt
- Hyperpigmentation (dark spots on the skin)
- Muscle weakness or pain
- Irritability and depression
- Palpitations
- Apathy
- For women: loss of body hair and reduced libido
Step 2. Get your cortisol levels checked
If you are concerned that you are deficient in this hormone, make an appointment with your doctor for a clinical examination. You will need to have your blood drawn and sent to a laboratory to check its levels. These are typically highest in the morning and lowest in the afternoon and evening, so your doctor may sometimes decide to have you take two samples on the same day to compare results at different times of the day. Your healthcare provider can also assess if the problem is low cortisol or if you have Addison's disease by comparing your hormone levels to normal reference levels.
- There are a variety of methods for checking cortisol, including saliva, blood, and urine tests. Additionally, your doctor may request that you check for other hormones such as TSH, T3, T4, DHEA, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone.
- The "normal" range varies from lab to lab, but in general, the average level for an adult or child in the morning is 5-23 micrograms per deciliter (mcg / dL), or 138-635 nanomoles per liter (nmol / l). The average afternoon level for an adult or child is 3-16 mcg / dl or 83-441 nmol / l.
- Make sure you have a checkup performed by qualified personnel and do not use a homemade method. Kits advertised online that test saliva are not as reliable as blood tests done in a laboratory.
- There are several factors that can affect the test's effectiveness, so you may need to check your levels on more than one occasion. For example, if you are stressed, if you are a pregnant woman, you are taking certain medications or if you have been exercising just before the blood collection, know that these are all factors that affect the level of cortisol in the blood.
Step 3. Determine the causes of hypocortisolemia
When your doctor diagnoses low cortisol, the next step is to figure out what reduces its production by the adrenal gland. The type of treatment your doctor prescribes will largely depend on the source of the problem.
- Adrenal insufficiency - a disorder that occurs when your body can no longer bear daily stress, poor nutrition, lack of sleep or emotional trauma and consequently the endocrine activity of the adrenals appears severely compromised, to the point of being insufficient with respect to the needs of the body.
- Primary adrenal insufficiency (or Addison's disease), occurs when the adrenal gland malfunctions and is unable to produce cortisol because it is damaged. This can be caused by an autoimmune disease, tuberculosis, adrenal gland infection, tumor, or bleeding in the adrenal glands.
- Secondary adrenal insufficiency: occurs when the pituitary gland, which produces the hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands, is diseased. The adrenal glands may also function well, but if they're not properly stimulated by the pituitary, they don't produce enough cortisol. This type of disorder can also show itself in people who take corticosteroids and abruptly stop therapy.
Part 2 of 3: Treating Low Cortisol Levels with Pharmacological Therapies
Step 1. Start with leading a healthy lifestyle
This is the first step in regaining the balance of cortisol levels. This can include anything from changing your sleeping patterns to changing your diet. Some ways to live healthily and start improving your cortisol levels include:
- Avoid stress
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
- Physical activity
- Practice yoga, meditation, and positive visualization
- Eat avocado, oily fish, nuts, olive oil, and coconut oil
- Avoid sugars, processed foods, and microwaved foods
Step 2. Get replacement therapy
The most common way to overcome cortisol deficiency is to undergo hormone replacement therapy. If levels are low enough to require synthetic substitutes, your doctor will prescribe oral corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone, prednisone, or cortisone acetate. By taking the drug on time every day, you can raise the cortisone levels in your body.
- During therapy it is important to periodically check hormone levels to make sure you are not getting too much or to ascertain progress.
- Corticosteroids taken by mouth have many side effects; can cause weight gain, mood swings, and other unpleasant symptoms. Ask your doctor for advice on how to reduce them.
Step 3. Ask your doctor about cortisol injections
If the levels of this hormone are really very low, finding yourself in a stressful situation could become dangerous. In fact, cortisol helps the body deal with stress and without it the body could even go into a coma. Your doctor can teach you to inject cortisol doses yourself in an emergency. When a stressful situation arises, you need to give yourself an injection so that your body can properly handle the moment of tension without collapsing.
Step 4. Find the cure to address the underlying problem
HRT corrects the symptom, but not the underlying problem that prevents the body from producing enough cortisol. Talk to your doctor about possible therapies that can help your adrenal glands function at full capacity again.
- If your adrenal glands have suffered irreversible damage or if you suffer from a permanent condition that will prevent them from working properly forever, constant hormone replacement therapy may be the best solution.
- However, if the cause of cortisol deficiency is related to a secondary factor, such as pituitary disease, cancer, tuberculosis, or bleeding, you should find a different treatment to regain the ability to produce enough cortisol.
Part 3 of 3: Treating Low Cortisol Levels with Natural Methods
Step 1. Manage your stress
If cortisol levels are low, but not to the point of requiring hormone replacement therapy, it is important to maintain a lifestyle that limits stress to the maximum. Learning to deal with it and reduce it will allow you to gradually increase cortisol levels in the body, rather than producing it on one occasion in very tense situations. The more stressed and tense you are, the faster your cortisol is depleted.
Try to use techniques to manage stress, such as writing a journal, doing yoga, or meditation to teach your body to regularly produce this important hormone and keep it at adequate levels
Step 2. Maintain a regular sleep schedule
The body naturally produces cortisol during the hours of sleep. Try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night, and if you can, go to sleep at the same time every night.
Keep your bedroom quiet, with no light or noise so you can sleep deeply and help your body produce cortisol
Step 3. Eat a balanced diet
Foods rich in sugar and refined flour can plunge cortisol levels to unhealthy levels. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to help increase the production of this hormone.
Step 4. Eat grapefruit
This fruit and citrus fruits generally break down enzymes that limit the production of the "stress hormone". Adding grapefruit regularly to your diet can help your adrenal glands increase their production.
Step 5. Try a licorice supplement
This plant contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that inhibits the enzyme in the body that breaks down cortisol. By inactivating this enzyme you can gradually raise its levels. Licorice is considered to be a very useful substance for this purpose.
- You can find licorice supplements, in tablet or capsule form, in health food stores, health food stores, and pharmacies.
- Do not take licorice candies as a supplement. They do not contain sufficient amounts of glycyrrhizin to be useful.
Step 6. Eat foods rich in iron
This can help you increase your energy if you are feeling exhausted.
If you need an increase in energy values, it is possible to use natural iron supplements
Warnings
- Always talk to your doctor or pharmacist before making any changes in your diet, before taking over-the-counter medications or supplements to increase cortisol levels. They will both be able to tell you if these changes are likely to interfere with any other medications you are taking.
- Licorice also lowers testosterone, so don't overdo it. It's all a question of balance.
