7. Sex Drive Driven Off

Cortisol is the ultimate ‘downer’, literally. When stress hormones are high, testosterone and other libido-inducing hormones drop….pardon the pun!

8. Physical Pain and Illness

Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands, which get depleted and drained over long periods of time of high level cortisol production. This then raises prolactin levels, which increase the body’s sensitivity and the brain’s response to pain. This means even the slightest twinge can excite the nerves of the brain, causing headaches, or a back or muscle ache which would’ve been tolerable in a low stress period, becomes almost unbearable.

Your gastrointestinal system is also very sensitive to high levels of cortisol, resulting in nausea, heartburn, cramps, constipation, diarrhoea, ulcers and other stomach issues.

Small levels of stress are unavoidable and even healthy in the human body. However, high levels of stress and cortisol production can lead to major health concerns, including adrenal fatigue and obesity. It is important for those more sensitive to stress to try and maintain a low-stress lifestyle, or adopt lifestyle changes and strategies to manage their stress.

Sources: http://lissarankin.com/ and http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm