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Adrenal Fatigue
Do You Have These Symptoms?
Fatigue – tired for no reason
Feel run down or overwhelmed
Trouble getting going in the morning, even when you went to bed at a reasonable hour
Difficulty thinking clearly, or get confused when under pressure
Poor response and ‘crashing’ during stress
Difficulty bouncing back from stress or illness
Feeling best only after 6pm
Recurrent infections or difficulty shaking them off
Achiness
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)
Low blood pressure and dizziness upon first standing
Craving salty and sweet snacks
Tendency to work lots and play little
If you answered yes to any of the above symptoms, you may be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue.
A Common Scenario
You drag yourself out of bed in the morning, after snoozing the alarm clock two or three times, have a shower and make a coffee.
Then you jump in the car to go to work, having had nothing more than a couple of slurps of coffee for breakfast because you are running late. (Do you recognise stress - even before you have left home?) You take the coffee with you in the car and continue slurping at traffic lights on the way. If you are female, you may also be trying to put the finishing touches on your make-up. You curse at the traffic lights turning red for the second time but finally you round the corner, knowing that you are now running really late for work. Then you get stuck behind a car that is only travelling at the speed limit – typical! (More cursing and yes, more stress!) Eventually you get to work ten minutes late again, knowing your boss will not be happy - adding even more to your stress.
Once at work there are all sorts of pressures. Of course, these are different with every job, but we all have them. Your boss may call you in to his office to speak to you about being late again to work or clients may call and complain about problems they are having, or other employees may ask you for help. All these things add to the stress your body is already under. Coffee seems to get you through the morning though, with no problems.
After lunch you do feel a bit better, having now put some food in your stomach, and probably more coffee! You probably do your best work now. Around 3pm, things begin to fade again, feeling tired. Another coffee will get you through to the end of the day, but you are counting the hours away now.
Once at home, you then pick from the fridge until dinner time, which may or may not be at a regular time.
This scenario may not be entirely accurate for you, but you may see yourself in some aspects of it. Working mums have the added pressures of seeing the children off to school or care, and wondering whether they will fit everything into the day before it’s time to collect the children. At the end of the day the working mum is still trying to get the washing folded and lunch boxes packed before falling exhausted into bed, at a time later than she’d like!
Adrenal Fatigue is a common health disorder that can follow persistent or severe emotional or physical stress. It is also an important contributing factor in many health conditions including allergies, and inability to lose weight. Despite its prevalence in our modern world, Adrenal Fatigue has generally been ignored and untreated by the medical community.
When your adrenal glands are functioning, but not enough to maintain a normal healthy balance in your body, you have Adrenal Fatigue. The output of regulatory adrenal hormones have been diminished by over-stimulation, caused by either by a very intense single stress or by chronic or repeated stresses that have a cumulative effect.
Adrenal fatigue occurs when your adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. Your adrenal glands are in control of every response your body has to stress (physical, emotional or psychological). Whether you are experiencing extreme stress, such as death of a loved one, or ongoing low-level stress (such as experienced on a daily basis), your adrenals have to respond by telling the body how to react. For example, during stressful occasions, hormones regulate energy production and storage, heart rate, muscle tone, and slow down digestion. These processes, amongst others, need to be regulated to allow your body to adapt to the stressful event, and cope with the stress. If this response is inadequate, you will experience some degree of Adrenal Fatigue.
Adrenal fatigue can affect every aspect of your life. In serious cases, the activity of the adrenal glands is so diminished that you may have difficulty getting out of bed for more than a few hours per day. Each day that passes depletes your adrenal function further, affecting every organ and system in your body. Changes occur in your carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, heart and cardiovascular system, and even sex drive. This is just the tip of the iceberg for your body as many other changes are occurring at a cellular level. Your body tries it’s best to maintain balance as the adrenal hormones continue to decrease.
What Types of People Get It and What Are the Risk Factors?
Anyone can suffer from Adrenal Fatigue, through:
A major life event Illness – chronic illness, or repeated infections
Continual low-level stress – this can drain the healthiest person, and is the most common cause of Adrenal Fatigue that we see in clinic
Lifestyle factors that can make you more prone – poor diet, drug abuse, excess alcohol consumption, poor sleep, too many pressures, repeated infections, mother who had a stressful experience during pregnancy or around the time of your birth
An estimated 80% of North Americans suffer from Adrenal Fatigue at some point in their lives. Sometimes this is temporary and only lasts a few days. At other times it can be debilitating and last for years (or a lifetime if nothing is done about it).
How It Relates to Other Health Conditions
How well your body copes with any chronic illness is a direct reflection of your adrenal function. If you are suffering from a chronic condition and you also have morning fatigue as one of your symptoms, your adrenals are likely to be fatigued to some degree.
Any medical treatment that involves the use of corticosteroids will have an effect on your adrenal glands. Corticosteroids are designed to imitate the actions of cortisol, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. When they are prescribed, it usually indicates that the adrenals are not providing adequate amounts.
Below is a list of conditions that usually involve Adrenal Fatigue (not exhaustive):
Avoid sugar – use Stevia instead as a healthy sweetener
Avoid stimulants – caffeine, cola drinks, chocolate
Eat regular planned meals, in a relaxed environment
Increase intake of complex carbohydrates – whole grains and vegetables
Fruit – can be eaten in moderation, about one to two pieces a day, depending on the type of fruit. (Not fruit juices as they contain concentrated sugar)
Drink plenty of water
Get plenty of good quality salt and potassium in your diet
Supplements
Tyrosine
This amino acid is an important factor in the production of adrenaline, so is extremely important to the adrenal glands.
B Vitamins
All of the B Vitamins are important for the correct functioning of the nervous system. A common sign of deficiency in these important nutrients is mental and physical fatigue.
Vitamin C
This stimulates adrenal function and the release of adrenal hormones. One study showed that under stress, the adrenal gland was promptly depleted of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).
Herbs
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
This has the ability to be a tonic to the adrenal glands and a modulator to the immune system.
Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng)
Increases vitality and the ability to withstand stress, and also restores and strengthens the body’s immune response.
Withania (Withania somnifera)
Has the ability to improve stamina, therefore is great for people suffering with nervous exhaustion, convalescing after an illness or in times of stress. It is also used a lot as a general tonic for disease prevention.
Note: All herbs should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner, as there are many occasions when particular herbs should not be used.
Lifestyle advice
Exercise
Regular exercise is an important component to any stress management program and has been demonstrated to have a very positive impact on improving mood and the ability to handle stressful life situations.
It is important to note that in cases of severe Adrenal Fatigue, exercise should be avoided. This is due to the enormous amount of energy expended during times of exercise. The adrenal glands need rest, in order to recover.
Learn to breathe better
One of the most powerful ways to decrease stress and increase energy in the body is by breathing with the diaphragm. If you are not sure how to do this, draw on the skills of an expert to help you.
Time Management
A big stressor for most people is time – most simply feel they don’t have enough of it.
Here are some tips on time management:
Set priorities – you can only accomplish so much in a day. Decide what is most important and limit your efforts to that goal.
Organise your day – there are always interruptions and unplanned demands on your time, but create a plan for the day based on your priorities. Avoid the pitfall of always letting the immediate demands control your life.
Delegate – as much as you can. You can’t do everything yourself. Learn to train and depend on others.
Tackle tough jobs first – handle the most important tasks first, while your energy levels are high.
Don’t be a perfectionist – you never actually achieve perfection anyway!
Professional help can greatly relieve Adrenal Fatigue
If you would like help NOW with a treatment plan that is designed specifically to get YOU well, you can email us or phone 09 473 8283 to make an inquiry or appointment.
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