Adrenal Fatigue: What Is It?
All of these can be related to
the constant stress we feel in our lives. We know that stress can have a huge
impact on our health and wellness. And, since your adrenal glands produce
stress hormones, adrenal fatigue (or “HPA Axis Dysregulation,”) is a popular
theme lately.
Your adrenal glands look like
walnuts that live on top of both of your kidneys. These important glands
produce many hormones, including stress hormones.
But what happens when they become
“overworked?”
You’ve heard of “adrenaline
junkies,” right?
Adrenaline and cortisol are the
stress hormones that give you the commonly known adrenaline rush; when you're
totally alert and living in the moment. This feeling is known as your body's
"fight or flight" response.
Some people (perhaps you?) just
love that intense feeling.
The release of hormones in the
fight or flight response is your body's normal reaction to stress. Stress can sometimes be positive, like when
it helps you swerve and prevent a crash.
After a short time, the flight or
flight response dissipates, your body goes back to normal, and all is good.
But what would happen if you felt
constant stress? Like all day, every day? Like “chronic” stress?
It wouldn't feel like an awesome
(once-in-a-while) "rush," anymore would it?
And what do you think happens to
your poor adrenal glands when they’re constantly working?
They’d get fatigued, right?
Do I have adrenal fatigue?
When your adrenal glands start
getting tired of secreting stress hormones day in and out, you can start
getting other symptoms.
Symptoms like fatigue, difficulty
sleeping, mood swings, weight loss or gain, joint pain, sugar cravings, even
frequent infections like colds and the flu are signs that your adrenals are
overworked.
First off, I have to tell you
that there aren't medically accepted blood tests for adrenal fatigue. In fact,
it's not recognized by most medical professionals until the point when your
adrenals are so fatigued they almost stop working. At that point, the official
diagnoses of "Adrenal Insufficiency" or "Addison's Disease"
may apply.
However, if you do have symptoms,
you should see your doctor to rule out other conditions. He or she may even be
open to discussing adrenal fatigue, or at the very least, wellness strategies
that can help to reduce your stress (and symptoms).
What to do if I have these
symptoms?
There are many actions you can
take to reduce your stress and improve your health and energy levels.
Ideally, if you think stress is
starting to burn you out, stress reduction is key. There are tons of ideas how
you can reduce your stress. My favourites are meditation, walking in nature,
light exercise, more sleep, or taking a bath.
Of course, I also recommend
reducing sugar and processed food intake and eating more fruits and vegetables.
Better nutrition can only help your body. So go ahead and do it.
Conclusion
Your adrenal glands produce
hormones in response to stress. After long-term daily stress, they may get
tired.
Adrenal fatigue is a
controversial disease that doesn’t have a true diagnostic test, nor specific
telltale symptoms.
The most important thing you can
do is to get tested to rule out other potential conditions. You can also try
stress reduction techniques like meditation, walks in nature, light exercise,
more sleep, or even a lovely bath.
Recipe (Stress-reducing bath
salt): Lavender Bath Salts
Per bath
2 cups epsom salts
10 drops lavender essential oil
As you're running your warm bath
water, add ingredients to the tub. Mix until dissolved
Enjoy your stress-reducing bath!
Tip:
You can add a tablespoon of dried lavender flowers.
References:
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