What are Symptoms of Low Cortisol Levels in Children?
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that helps maintain metabolism and energizes the body in response to stress. To accomplish its important work, cortisol has an impact on every system in the body. This means that adequate levels must be maintained. Balanced Cortisol Levels Cortisol follows a circadian rhythm in which the levels are highest in the morning and lowest in the evening, to facilitate sleep. The levels of cortisol also increase in response to stress, boosting energy for the systems critical to survival (such as the brain) while decreasing the energy available to less important systems. Low levels of cortisol are rare in children; however, insufficiency needs to be identified to prevent a health crisis. How Cortisol Works Cortisol helps to maintain blood pressure by either decreasing absorption of water or by promoting water retention. It plays a role in stimulating epinephrine, which in turn stimulates cardiac output. During stress, this prevents potentially serious low blood pre
