If you have unbalanced levels of cortisol, you can experience unpleasant symptoms. Learn more about cortisol and how to test your levels with at-home sample collection.
Are you constantly fatigued or irritable? Are you inexplicably gaining weight or dealing with an awful case of brain fog? Overly high or low cortisol levels could be the cause of these symptoms.
If you want to learn more about cortisol and how it affects the body, read on. We detail the symptoms of too much and too little cortisol and explain how to check your cortisol levels at home.
The endocrine glands above your kidneys, called the adrenal glands, produce the steroid hormone cortisol. Cortisol manages several vital processes throughout your body, including your metabolism and immune response.
Having too much or too little cortisol in your body can adversely affect your mental and physical well-being. If you have low levels of cortisol, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, depression, increased susceptibility to illness, brain fog, and strong cravings for sweet or salty foods. Elevated cortisol levels, on the other hand, can cause issues such as weight gain in the face, midsection, and upper back, thinning skin, acne, muscle weakness, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and headaches.
At RxHomeTest, we have a 24-hour cortisol test (four samples) and a day and night cortisol test (two samples) available. Buy a cortisol saliva test, collect your saliva samples using the provided instructions, and ship them off to our labs, where a healthcare provider will review them and craft a detailed and easy-to-understand report. Make sure to pay special attention to the morning sample since that's when levels change quickly.
If your test results indicate you have depleted or elevated cortisol levels, you can take them to the doctor or work on improving your health by exercising, eating well, limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption, and getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. But if symptoms continue, you could potentially have an endocrine condition, such as Addison's disease, Cushing's syndrome, or congenital adrenal hyperplasia, that requires professional diagnosis and treatment. Consult with your doctor for additional testing and to find a treatment plan that works for you.
Order a 24-hour diurnal cortisol test kit.
All About Cortisol - a brief summary of the stress hormone.
Cortisol: Risk Factors - key facts and the risks related to high cortisol levels.
What Cortisol Test to Order - we sort through the list of tests to remove any confusion.
Five Telltale Signs of High Cortisol Levels - learn about the common signs.
Why It’s Important To Test Cortisol Levels at Specific Times - Because levels change throughout the day.
Why Morning Cortisol and its Collection Time are so Important? - learn why morning levels are crucial.
The Most Common Effects of High Cortisol Levels - know what chronic high stress can do to you.
How Can My Medicine Affect Cortisol Levels? - certain drugs tend to raise or lower normal cortisol levels.
The Most Common Effects of High Cortisol Levels - know what chronic high stress can do to you.
How to Check Cortisol Levels at Home? - learn about your options to measure cortisol levels.
The Impact of Chronic Stress on Your Body - chronic stress breaks down muscles to build fat & increases weight.
Saliva Testing – Advantages and Concerns - saliva is simple, easy to collect and can be as accurate as blood tests.
