Hydrocortisone is the pharmaceutical name for cortisol, a natural corticosteroid hormone used as medication to reduce inflammation and suppress immune responses. It treats conditions like adrenocortical insufficiency, severe allergies, arthritis, asthma, dermatitis, lupus, ulcerative colitis, and various skin disorders by mimicking the body's stress hormone to calm swelling, redness, and itching. Available in forms such as tablets, injections, topical creams, and enemas, it binds to glucocorticoid receptors to inhibit inflammatory pathways like phospholipase A2 and NF-kappa B, offering low potency compared to synthetic steroids like prednisolone or dexamethasone.