Cortisol

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands that acts as your body's main stress response manager. It is a glucocorticoid that regulates blood sugar, controls inflammation, manages blood pressure, and influences your sleep-wake cycle.

Corticosteroids can be used to modify cortisol levels in the body, and treat certain illnesses.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids are a type of synthetic hormone. They are used to replace natural hormones that usually would be produced by the adrenal glands. Corticosteroids are usually administered by pill, intravenously, topically (on the skin, as a cream, lotion, or ointment, or as a spray), as an inhaler (generally for asthma), or as a suppository.

Corticosteroids are used to treat many conditions, including:

• adrenal insufficiency
• asthma
• allergic rhinitis and hayfever
• atopic eczema
• Addison's disease
• urticaria (hives)
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• pain and inflammation of joints, muscles and tendons
• lupus
• inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Crohn’s disease
• ulcerative colitis
• giant cell arteritis
• polymyalgia rheumatica
• multiple sclerosis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• piles (haemorrhoids)

Related pages

• aldosterone and corticosteroid
• pancreas

References

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