Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are small organs located above your kidneys. According to the National Institutes of Health, cortisol is released when your pituitary gland produces another hormone called ACTH. Cortisol plays a crucial role in some of your most basic vital processes, including immune system function, circulation and metabolism. Your cortisol levels are highest in the morning, usually in the range of six to 23 mcg/dcl (micrograms per deciliter). Illness, stress, medications and normal hormonal changes can all cause your body to make too much cortisol.
Adrenal Malfunction
The NIH explains that adrenal malfunction can be a cause of too much cortisol in your system. Tumors that either sit on your adrenal glands or that produce too much ACTH hormone can cause your body to think it needs to make more cortisol than is needed. The high levels of cortisol caused by your body making too much of the hormone is referred to as Cushing syndrome. Cushing syndrome can cause women to grow unwanted facial and body hair, impair fertility in both genders, and lead to weight gain, muscle and bone pain and weakness.
Medications
Medications you may be taking for unrelated medical conditions could lead to higher-than-normal cortisol levels. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry notes that birth control pills, synthetic hormones such as hydrocortisone and the diuretic drug spironolactone, which is also sometimes used to treat severe hormonal acne, can raise your cortisol levels above normal readings.
Hormonal Changes
Other hormonal changes, whether they are expected or due to an imbalance, can affect your cortisol readings. The normal fluctuation of hormones that occurs during pregnancy can lead to an increase in cortisol, according to the AACC. An overactive thyroid, a condition called hyperthyroidism, may also wreak havoc with your cortisol levels if your thyroid disorder is left unchecked.
Stress
Cortisol is sometimes called the stress hormone, and indeed there is a connection between cortisol and emotional upheaval. University of New Mexico researchers Christine Maglione-Garves, Len Kravitz and Suzanne Schneider explain that your body produces more cortisol when you are under pressure or another perceived danger. An interesting twist on this research is that your brain tells your body to eat more high fat foods after producing more hormones than usual, which also suggests a link between obesity and cortisol levels. The AACC concurs that physical stress, in the form of illness or obesity, can also raise your cortisol levels.
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