Adrenal incidentalomas are common findings on imaging scans. Most are harmless, but some can cause serious health problems. Learn how to tell the difference and when surgery is truly needed.
Cortisol Secretion: How Stress, Sleep, and Medications Affect Your Body's Key Hormone
When your body senses stress—whether it’s a looming deadline, a sleepless night, or chronic illness—it triggers cortisol secretion, the release of a key steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands to help you respond to threats. Also known as the stress hormone, cortisol isn’t just about panic mode—it regulates blood sugar, reduces inflammation, and controls your sleep-wake cycle. Without it, you’d crash under pressure. But too much, or too little, throws your whole system out of balance.
This hormone doesn’t flow randomly. It follows a circadian rhythm, a natural 24-hour pattern where cortisol peaks in the morning to wake you up and drops at night so you can sleep. Disrupt that rhythm—by pulling all-nighters, shift work, or constant anxiety—and your body starts misfiring. Low cortisol in the morning leaves you drained. High cortisol at bedtime keeps you wired. And when you’re on long-term steroid meds or have adrenal issues, your natural secretion gets suppressed or overdriven. It’s not just feeling tired—it’s your whole metabolism, immune system, and mood getting pulled off track. Related to this are the adrenal glands, tiny organs on top of your kidneys that produce cortisol and other hormones. When they’re overworked, underactive, or damaged, the ripple effects show up as unexplained weight gain, brain fog, or even depression that doesn’t respond to antidepressants.
What you’ll find in these posts isn’t theory—it’s real-world insight from people managing cortisol-related issues. You’ll see how medication changes, sleep habits, and even insurance rules around hormone treatments affect daily life. There’s no fluff here: just how cortisol connects to things like postpartum thyroiditis, medication side effects, and why some people feel worse after switching generics. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re exhausted despite sleeping 8 hours, or why stress hits you harder than it used to, this collection gives you the practical pieces to understand why—and what to do next.