All these years we only understood stress as something that messes up with our head and makes us mentally tired. But did you know that it can cause trouble for your physical health as well? Apart from drowning you emotionally and mentally, the stress levels in the body harm you physically causing acne, and pimples on your face and also reducing your overall health and wellbeing.

As stress shoots up, cortisol levels in the body increases. A high cortisol level known as hypercortisolism occurs when a hormone is produced by the adrenal glands which play a major role in regulating metabolism, immune response, and managing blood pressure. The high cortisol levels in the body can be because of chronic stress, medical conditions, medications, in certain cases poor diet habits also trigger the fight or freeze response in the body and the adrenal glands produce the cortisol hormone.


Symptoms of high cortisol in the body include weight gain especially in the abdomen and face, fatigue, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, irritability, increased thirst and urination, and weak bones. However, there are a few other symptoms of high cortisol levels in the body that are caused because of stress.

Eye twitching
It is a very common fact that your eyes start twitching when you are under pressure and it is the first physical sign of stress. This happens because the muscles in the eyes become small and weak and they are considered to be the first responders to an increase in cortisol levels. As it spikes, the muscles contract or spasm involuntarily.

Bloating
Apart from stomach bloating, facial puffiness is also a sign of high cortisol levels in the body. As the hormones mess with the salt and water balance in the body, it leads to fluid retention and bloating, making your face very fluffy. As too much cortisol is produced, facial puffiness can lead to swelling and it's called Cushing syndrome .



Bruisings
How common it is for you to hurt yourself by mistake? Just like stubbing your little toe while walking, multiple unexplained bruises appear in your body when your cortisol levels are too high. As the hormone weakens structural protein in the skin, it makes you more fragile. With high cortisol levels, the walls of small blood vessels weaken and make you more prone to damage, blood clots, and bleeding.

Hair loss
High cortisol levels can also affect your hairline and cause hair loss. It weakens the stem cells and prevents new hair from growing. While the cortisol hormones are produced extra, the body loses testosterone and estrogen and this imbalance will also cause hair thinning.




Disrupted vision
As the cortisol level disrupts the blood flow, it leads to potential vision problems and the pressure on nerves between the eye and brain also develops a risk of developing glaucoma. High cortisol levels are also linked to dry eyes, blurred vision, and heightened sensitivity to light.

Muscle weakness
Prolonged high cortisol levels will cause muscle weakness in the shoulders, hips, and thighs making you weak. It can easily cause you exhaustion even with minimum work.



Brain fog
Cortisol levels can also disturb your memory by interfering with the brain regions. It slowly affects your focus and decision-making skills causing you to be confused. High cortisol level disturbs the brain's neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, further impairing cognitive function as well.

Constant ear ringing
Tinnitus or the constant annoyance sound of ringing in the year could denote that the stress levels are high and it messes with the auditory system. Impacting the blood flow and nerve function, you often hear sounds like ringing, buzzing, hissing.

Extreme temperatures
High cortisol levels will make you experience sudden hot flashes and sudden chilling sensations. As the hormone imbalance happens, the body tries to mimic the effect of the other hormones that try to keep your body intact, often creating extreme temperature sensations.

Increased appetite
With high cortisol levels, the body often triggers sugary or starchy food that leads to weight gain. This increased appetite is based only on hormonal imbalance. Apart from disrupting your diet, the body also makes you more irritable, anxious, and depressed.