Adrenal Fatigue - The Real Reason Behind Stress
Understanding Its Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options
Mar 26, 2009
This is the age of the superwoman. From attending client meetings to showing up at a friend’s party, from skimming through office files to reading bed-time stories, from being a terrific boss to a perfect home maker, the superwoman does it all. While she excels and receives accolades for her feats, she also unknowingly becomes a victim of stress.
Stress today is no longer occasional, but is acute and continuous. An assault of stressors like work pressure, lack of nourishment, injuries and exposure to environmental toxins leads to a more dangerous state of chronic stress, eventually causing adrenal burnout or adrenal fatigue. Simply put, it is the fatigue caused by the poor performance of walnut shaped glands sitting on top of each kidney- the adrenals.
The Role Of Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands produce many important hormones in the body and work in conjunction with important organ systems. The hormones released by these glands regulate blood pressure and metabolic processes, maintain salt and water balance, maintain pregnancy and initiate puberty and sexual maturation. Adrenals are primarily ‘anti stress’ glands that rush the body into a “fight or flight” mode to combat any form of stress i.e., they initiate a healthy stress response.
How They Function During Stress
These glands produce two main hormones- adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline is produced in response to situations causing sudden stress like an emergency, exercise or even excitement. This short acting hormone prepares the body for action by increasing blood glucose levels for quick energy, increasing heartbeat and gushing blood to skeletal muscles and brain.
Cortisol on the other hand has more prolonged effects and helps body cope with chronic stress. It promotes conversion of fats and proteins into glucose, ensuring vital organs like brain, heart, and skeletal muscles have enough glucose to meet an increasing demand. Constant stress forces adrenals to maintain high cortisol levels. Increased cortisol causes muscle and bone weakening, impairs digestion and metabolism and increases the risk of heart disease. More importantly, it causes adrenal burnout.
Adrenal Fatigue In Women
An elevated level of cortisol in the body during chronic stress is a common observation in both men and women. But what are its cascading effects on a woman? Firstly, it compromises effective functioning of the ovarian system. In early stages of fatigue, the body tends to neutralise stress by producing more cortisol. Excess cortisol inhibits normal production of hormone progesterone, thereby causing an imbalance in the estrogen-progesterone ratio. Often this leads to a condition termed ‘estrogen dominance’. A consequence of this condition is the development of PMS, fibroids and pre-menopausal syndrome in women in their mid-thirties and early forties.
Furthermore, estrogen dominance interferes with the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland. This effectively means that when the body is already in a state of stress, there is no free cortisol available to fight it.
Who Needs An Adrenal Fatigue Test?
Having one or a combination of the following symptoms would necessitate medical attention and a subsequent adrenal fatigue test:
- Chronic fatigue
- Feeling tired despite sufficient hours of sleep
- Insomnia
- Dizziness or light headedness upon standing
- Muscle and/or joint pain
- Weight gain
- Depression and difficulty “bouncing back” from stress
- Hair loss
- Recurrent infections
- Cold intolerance
- Cravings for sugars or carbohydrates and caffeine
- Low blood sugar and pressure
- Low libido
Healing Adrenals Naturally
An adrenal test spells out the degree of adrenal exhaustion. For women with very severe symptoms, medical intervention is inevitable. But for those with milder symptoms, natural methods can help restore a healthy adrenal function.
- Eat Healthy- Reduce consumption of carbohydrates, caffeine and alcohol as they stress the adrenals. Increase the intake of Vitamin C as during stress our bodies excrete this compound rapidly. Never skip breakfast as this lowers sugar levels in the body and signals to the adrenals to produce more cortisol.
- Get adequate rest- Our bodies need time to rejuvenate and heal after working round the clock. Adrenals work hardest between 10 pm and 1 am to repair the body. Therefore sleeping by 10 pm reduces the workload on these glands.
- De-stress- Our stressful lifestyle plays the most important role in deterioration of health. It is essential to identify stressors, emotional, physical or environmental, and try and find ways to eliminate them. Nurturing an atmosphere of joy and happiness is the key to staying stress free. Laughing and doing fun things also complement a joyous atmosphere.
- Exercise- Deep breathing during exercise oxygenates cells and releases ‘feel good’ substances called endorphins into blood stream. These substances are known to elevate mood and reduce stress. However, keep in mind the degree of adrenal exhaustion and exercise accordingly.
Easy and laid back lifestyle led by our ancestors no longer exists, making adrenal fatigue a very common problem. Unfortunately, diagnosing the problem poses a challenge to mainstream physicians even today. To add to this, most women live in denial and blame work, kids or age for their lack of energy. Being alert for symptoms and following the right combination of a treatment plan and natural remedies will help in winning your life back.
