Cortisol is a common medicine. it is often used as a cream to treat eczema. How it works?
In general, human activities can be classified into two types. Activities to obtain external resources and activities to improve internal health conditions. Roughly speaking, activities while awake are to obtain resources and activities while asleep are to heal health problems. Our body regulate the focus of activities with a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol level is high during day time. Cortisol suppress immune activities so most energy is channeled to muscle activities. Cortisol level is low during night time. Immune systems and other healing systems function at a high capacity to improve our health conditions.
From the above discussion, cortisol reduces the level of immune functions and other healing functions. Why cortisol becomes a medicine?
When cortisol is applied, the level of immune activities declines. Our body is less a battle field. That is why we feel better for sometime. However, the reduced fighting results from the retreat of our immune system, not the retreat of the microbes. The microbes may well take the reprieve as an opportunity to strength themselves. This is why conditions often turn worse after the application of cortisol.
But some people do feel better after the application of the cortisol. These are usually the people with minor problems. The application of cortisol reduce the level of itching while only slightly prolong the healing process. But for more serous conditions, the application of cortisol may turn a curable health problem into a chronicle health problem.
So what we can do? First, sleep more. More sleep is the best way to boost our immune system and other healing systems. Second, exercise more. exercise improves blood circulation. It also promote good sleep. Third, massage ourselves more. Massage improves blood circulation. It also reduces the cortisol level. Both will speed up healing, such as wound healing. By the way, viruses increase cortisol level, thus suppress immune response. Viruses are so smart.
The above discussion is about cortisol, a specific drug. But the mechanism applies to many drugs. The use of drug often weaken the function of our own systems. Of course physicians warn against the long term use of cortisol. But this is similar to the warning against long term use of cocaine. Cocaine make people happy over short term. But if happiness depends on cocaine, many people naturally will develop long term dependence on cocaine. There is less difference between drugs prescribed by physicians and drugs sold by street deals than we might think.
