Are you Suffering from Adrenal Fatigue? -Part 1 of 3
If you have heard of adrenals, then you probably have heard of adrenal fatigue. And if you’ve heard of adrenal fatigue, then you may know that this condition is becoming an all too common situation.
With the long work hours, crazy family schedules, busyness of keeping it all together, we often don’t realize what a toll it is taking on our bodies. Your adrenals sit on top of your kidneys and produce many of your hormones. The cortex layer of the adrenals produce your sex hormones (DHEA, DHEA-S and others), corticosteroids (regulating our sleep/wake cycles, the body’s inflammation, energy generation), and mineralocorticoids (such as aldosterone which regulates our fluid and mineral excretion). The medulla layer of the adrenals manage our response to stress and secrete our stress hormones known as neurotransmitters. These stress hormones are epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine and dopaine. These hormones create our “fight or flight” response; they keep us alive and protect us by creating the “fight or flight” reaction. During this acute stress reaction, adrenaline and cortisol are released and our heart rate increases, our digestion slows, and our nervous system prepares us to react quickly – making us stronger and more alert.
However, when one starts to experience symptoms of adrenal fatigue, now more commonly known as the HPA-D (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysregulation), they will feel really tired between 2-4 pm and then become wired in the evening and be unable to get a good night’s sleep, if any sleep at all. These are the early stages of adrenal fatigue and we need to respond and listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us. It’s time to take a step back in our lifestyle and heal our bodies at the first sign of these symptoms. The longer you wait to respond, the more severe your symptoms will become and the longer it will take to repair them.
Here are the signs of adrenal fatigue or HPA-D:
Brain:
- Mild depression/anxiety/irritability
- Overwhelmed by life
- Forgetfulness
Digestive:
- Alternating constipation/diarrhea
- Indigestion/Reflux
- Hypoglycemia
Heart:
- Palpitations
- Dizziness/Lightheaded
- Hypertension
Immune System:
- High frequency of infections
- Viruses/Infections lasting longer than usual
Whole Body:
- Muscle aches/Body aches
- Chronic inflammation
- Dry skin
- Insomnia
- Low body temperature
- Decreased sex drive
- Cravings for salt and sugar
- Inability to loose weight
- Inability to gain weight
- Menopausal symptoms
- Menstrual irregularities
- Bone loss
If you are experiencing adrenal fatigue symptoms, you will want to continue reading this 3 Part series. Typically, you will not be diagnosed with adrenal fatigue by your mainstream doctors. Adrenal Fatigue is most always missed by the majority of mainstream doctors until you reach Stage 4. The four stages of adrenal dysfunction will be discussed in Part 2 of Adrenal Fatigue. In Part 3 we will discuss ways to heal your adrenals – adrenal fatigue recovery. Stay tuned.