Stress
Adrenal glands
Cortisol
The main stress hormone, following a daily rhythm that peaks in the morning.
What it does
- Releases energy during stress
- Regulates blood pressure, blood sugar and inflammation
- Helps you wake up
Too much
- Too much (Cushing\'s): weight gain around the middle, high blood pressure, thin skin, mood changes
Too little
- Too little (Addison\'s): fatigue, weight loss, low blood pressure, salt craving, darkened skin
Keeping it balanced: Managing stress, good sleep and routine help keep cortisol\'s daily rhythm healthy.
Sources & references
Think a hormone may be out of balance?
The symptoms of hormonal excess and deficiency are non-specific — tiredness, weight change, low mood and poor sleep have many everyday causes. No hormone problem can be self-diagnosed from a symptom list.
Diagnosis needs blood tests interpreted alongside your history, sometimes repeated at set times of day because many hormones vary hour to hour. Speak to a GP if symptoms are persistent; seek urgent care for severe symptoms such as confusion, fainting, chest pain or extreme thirst with frequent urination.
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