What is Cortisol?
What are its benefits?

What is cortisol? It's the main hormone responsible for stress. Too much of it can cause endless problems, one of them being fertility.You can end up feeling exhausted, like you've run a marathon! You might want to sleep because of the overwhelming exhaustion you feel.

How does cortisol affect you?

The cortisol hormone is secreted by your adrenal glands.You know that feeling you can get when you feel a surge or rush of adrenaline go through you? That state of mind when you might be so nervous you don't feel pain as much because of the feeling running through your body.
That can be due to cortisol levels rising.
It is an important function in helping you to react to stressful times, but it's important that once you have confronted a stressful moment that your body relaxes again and the hormone level drops otherwise, if it continues to remain elevated a lot of the time, you can come into problems.

Here's a video about the role cortisol plays in stress and weight gain:

What Is Cortisol And How Can Increased Levels Affect You?

With continued elevated levels the following can occur:
•Impaired cognitive performance - so your thinking and memory might be blurred... you might find it hard to concentrate or focus.

•Suppressed thyroid function - your thyroid helps control your metabolism, so when your thyroid is out, your whole body pattern is disrupted.

•Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia

•Decreased bone density - which means your bones won't be as strong

•Decrease in muscle tissue - this also means your muscles won't be as strong

•Higher blood pressure

•Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences

•Increased abdominal fat which is one of the main problems that women who are trying to conceive have problems with conception over.

Here's how elevated cortisol can harm your health, and what symptoms come with the hormone:

How To Lower Your Cortisol Levels

If you have increased cortisol levels the best thing you can do is try to get your levels down. You can do this by trying to practice relaxation techniques, staying positive, eating healthily, exercising and avoiding things that highly stress you.
If there's something in your life that is the main cause of your stress, such as a job, perhaps you might need to find an alternative - something less stressful.