Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal Fatigue
Your adrenal glands are two tiny pyramid-shaped pieces of tissue situated right above each kidney. Their job is to produce and release, when appropriate, certain regulatory hormones and chemical messengers.
Adrenaline is manufactured in the interior of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal medulla. Cortisol, the other chemical from the adrenal gland, is made in the exterior portion of the gland, called the adrenal cortex. The cortex also secretes androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Cortisol, commonly called hydrocortisone, is the most abundant — and one of the most important — of many adrenal cortex hormones. Cortisol helps you handle longer-term stress situations.
In addition to helping you handle stress, these two primary adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, along with others similarly produced, help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other central metabolic functions.
In the heightened nervous state of adrenal burnout, the body overproduces adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Constant stress and poor nutrition can weaken the adrenal glands. Eventually, this causes the adrenal glands, the front line in the stress reaction, to show wear and tear and become depleted. This frequently leads to impairment in the thyroid gland, which can cause a further decline in energy level and mood and is one of the reasons why many people have thyroid glands that don’t work well.
When stress continues over prolonged periods of time, the adrenal glands can deplete the body’s hormonal and energy reserves, and the glands may either shrink in size or hypertrophy (enlarge). The overproduction of adrenal hormones caused by prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and inhibit the production of white blood cells that protect the body against foreign invaders (in particular lymphocytes and lymph node function).
Adrenal dysfunction can disrupt the body’s blood sugar metabolism, causing weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of being run down. It can also interfere with normal sleep rhythms and produce a wakeful, unrelaxing sleep state, making a person feel worn out even after a full night’s sleep.
Common Causes of Adrenal Stress
Anger
Fear / Worry /Anxiety
Depression
Guilt
Overwork/ physical or mental strain
Excessive exercise
Sleep deprivation
Light-cycle disruption
Going to sleep late
Surgery
Trauma/injury
Chronic inflammation
Chronic infection
Chronic pain
Temperature extremes
Toxic exposure
Malabsorption
Maldigestion
Chronic illness
Chronic-severe allergies
Hypogycemia
Nutritional deficiencies
Testing for Adrenal Health
In order to determine the health of your adrenal glands you need to have a simple blood, urine, or saliva test performed by your practitioner. Cortisol levels can be checked by blood or throughout the day by a saliva test. DHEA, and Epinephrine, are some other indicators of adrenal function.
Associated Symptoms and Consequences of Impaired Adrenal Functioning
Low body temperature
Weakness
Unexplained hair loss
Nervousness
Difficulty building muscle
Irritability
Mental depression
Difficulty gaining weight
Apprehension
Hypoglycemia
Inability to concentrate
Excessive hunger
Tendency towards inflammation
Moments of confusion
Indigestion
Poor memory
Feelings of frustration
Alternating diarrhea and constipation
Osteoporosis
auto-immune diseases/hepatitis
Lightheadedness
Palpitations [heart fluttering]
Dizziness that occurs upon standing
Poor resistance to infections
Low blood pressure
Insomnia
Food and/or inhalant allergies
PMS
Craving for sweets
Dry and thin skin
Headaches
Scanty perspiration
Alcohol intolerance
Treatment
Lifestyle changes such as:
Eating steadily, all day long. Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do for your body. When you’re hungry, your blood sugar drops, stressing your adrenal glands and triggering your sympathetic nervous system. That causes light-headedness, cravings, anxiety and fatigue. Another drawback to skipping meals: The resulting low blood sugar can affect your ability to think clearly and shorten your attention span.
Skipping breakfast is particularly bad, as it is a sure fire way to gain, not lose, weight. If you start each morning with a good breakfast and “graze” healthfully every two to four hours, your blood sugar will remain steady throughout the day. You’ll feel more rested and energetic.
Eat protein with every meal. Eat Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice. Avoid sugar, junk food, white pasta, white rice, white bread.
Absolutely NO Caffeine. Coffee/Sodas over stimulates your adrenals and they deplete important B vitamins.
Coffee does not give you energy; coffee gives you the illusion of energy. Coffee actually drains the body of energy and makes you more tired, because of vitamin and adrenal depletion.
Exercise to relax. Walking, Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or stretching. No vigorous or aerobic exercise, which depletes the adrenals.
Avoid alcohol, processed foods, and tobacco. Nicotine in tobacco initially raises cortisol levels, but chronic use results in low DHEA, testosterone, and progesterone levels.
Reduce stress; learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation.
Helpful Supplements
The use of small amounts of natural adrenal hormone (hydrocortisone) to bring slightly low adrenal function up to its proper normal daily range is often helpful.
Take a daily multivitamin to provide nutritional support to the adrenal gland.
Vitamin C 1,000-3,000 mg a day
L-Theanine 100-400 mg a day
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) 300 mg a day
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), no more than 1000 mg of glycyrrhizin
Go here for adrenal supplements
Drinking Water and Weight Loss
Drinking water is one of the natural remedies for adrenal fatigue and weight loss, without all that high fructose corn syrup secretly getting in the way.
Adrenal Fatigue Supplements
Adrenal Fatigue is a aggregation of signals and symptoms. Supplements for adrenal fatigue represent an significant role in invigorating your adrenal gland.
Adrenal Fatigue Testing
Adrenal Fatigue Testing Exhaustion and weariness is one of the popular and the most frequent rants among all the adult patients
Breathing is very important; without air we would die. The less oxygen we bring into our lungs the more susceptible we are to disease and stress.
Adrenal Fatigue – What is it?
Adrenal fatigue is a condition in which the adrenal glands function at a sub-optimal level when patients are at rest, under stress, or in response to consistent, intermittent, or sporadic demands.
Can anyone tell me about an adrenal gland disorder?
medicine for over 10 years (hypertension) that the cause was my adrenal glands. Does anyone know any information about the function or treatment of this gland?
By: Valerie Balandra ARNP, BC -
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Valerie Balandra ARNP, BC is a board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner and holistic health practitioner. Her website Integrative Psychiatry. Net focuses on ways to identify causes of bio-chemical imbalances and provides natural treatments for depression and anxiety. www.integrativepsychiatry.net
Enzymatic Therapy will offset some of the damage and helps the rest of your body handle it. All of our defense mechanisms need to be addressed, and if you like tinctures, the Adrenal Support by Natra-Bio comes in little tabs or liquid. And when your hair is standing straight and end-goose bumps are starting to form, Schizandra Adrenal Complex by Planetary Formulas, the Classic Chinese Tonic (We Zi Wan, a kidney and liver herbal, because we wouldn’t want our livers stressed) used for centuries is very helpful. Schizandra is an adaptogenic herb, meaning not only helping with the stress of the adrenals, but liver too.
sleep, but other times it can be due to an underlying health issue. Chronic tiredness can be a frustrating condition. There usually isn’t a simple solution to it and any medical tests are likely to come back ‘normal’.
