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Adrenals
The adrenal glands are orange-colored endocrine glands which
are located on the top of both kidneys. The adrenal glands are
triangular shaped and measure about one-half inch in height and
3 inches in length. Each gland consists of a medulla (the center of
the gland) which is surrounded by the cortex. The medulla is
responsible for producing epinephrine and norepinephrine
(adrenaline). The adrenal cortex produces other hormones
necessary for fluid and electrolyte (salt) balance in the body such
as cortisone and aldosterone. The adrenal cortex also makes sex
hormones but this only becomes important if overproduction is
present.
The basic task of your adrenal glands is to rush all your body’s
resources into "fight or flight" mode by increasing production of
adrenaline and other hormones. When healthy, your adrenals can
instantly increase your heart rate and blood pressure, release
your energy stores for immediate use, slow your digestion and
other secondary functions, and sharpen your senses.
Our patients’ most common symptoms are fatigue, insomnia,
weight gain, and depression. Does that sound like you? If so, your
underlying problem may be adrenal fatigue.
Every woman who comes to our clinic with these symptoms gets
an adrenal fatigue test, which consists of a series of tests of
cortisol levels. And the results — in over thousands of cases —
are remarkably consistent: only 1% have cortisol levels indicating
healthy adrenal function, while 99% suffer impaired function,
ranging from significant adrenal stress to complete adrenal
exhaustion.
The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and
weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone
loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin
problems, autoimmune disorders, and dozens of other symptoms.
The good news is that adrenal fatigue can almost always be
relieved. Let’s look at the relationships between stress, high
cortisol levels and adrenal fatigue, and then we’ll look at how you
can give your adrenals more support.
Some Symptoms of Adrenal Dysfunction are:
• Fatigue
• Feeling tired despite sufficient hours of sleep
• Insomnia
• Weight gain
• Depression
• Hair loss
• Acne
• Reliance on stimulants like caffeine
• Cravings for carbohydrates or sugars
• Cravings for salt
• Poor immune function
• Intolerance to cold
Related conditions
Adrenal fatigue is a likely factor in several medical conditions such
as the following:
• Hypotension
• Fibromyalgia
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Arthritis
• Premature menopause
Testing for adrenal fatigue
Conventional medicine is truly wonderful at treating disease-state
conditions. Unfortunately its focus on drugs also tends to
suppress early-stage symptoms rather than treat their underlying
causes. This can have the effect of delaying treatment until a
disease state has developed. This is true in the case of adrenal
fatigue cortisol testing. In the conventional standard of care, any
cortisol level within a very broad range is considered normal, and
anything outside that range indicates disease.
In our practice, we measure cortisol levels at several points in the
day to track the adrenals’ day–night pattern (called the “diurnal
rhythm”) using a panel of simple saliva tests. We hope to see
cortisol elevated in the morning to help you get going, lower but
steady throughout the day to sustain energy, then fall in the
evening to support restful sleep.
In the early stages of adrenal dysfunction, cortisol levels are too
high during the day and continue rising in the evening. This is
called “hyperadrenia.” In the middle stages, cortisol may rise and
fall unevenly as the body struggles to balance itself despite the
disruptions of caffeine, carbs and other factors, but levels are not
normal and are typically too high at night. In advanced stages,
when the adrenals are exhausted from overwork, cortisol will
never reach normal levels (“hypoadrenia”).
Conventional medicine will detect only the extremes of these
conditions, when damage to the adrenals has already occurred
(Cushing’s disease and Addison’s disease). Within those
extremes, you can feel miserable and still be told your cortisol
levels are normal. But by responding to early-stage symptoms of
adrenal fatigue, we can reverse the developing dysfunction.
Should you get an adrenal test?
In general, if you feel happy and well, have steady energy and
emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up
feeling rested, recover well from stress, and maintain a healthy
weight without dieting, then your adrenals are probably doing well.
On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel
emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less
than seven hours a night, can’t lose excess weight even while
dieting, use caffeine or carbohydrates as “pick-me-ups” — these
are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.
Natural adrenal support — how to restore healthy adrenal
function
The first step is to have a full physical exam to rule out disease or
other factors. In our experience, women with mild to moderate
cases of adrenal fatigue can see significant improvement through
these steps:(Adrenal Fatigue do's & don'ts)
• Dietary changes to enrich your nutrition and reduce
carbohydrates and stimulants. We also recommend the
addition of
high-quality nutritional supplements, including essential fatty
acids from fish oil.
• Stress reduction, including moderate exercise and
taking more time for yourself. It’s helpful to make a list of your
stressors, especially those that are constant.
• Get more rest. Your body needs time to heal.
Women with more severe symptoms, or those who have reached
complete adrenal exhaustion, usually need greater intervention. At
our practice we use the steps outlined above with the added
natural support of phosphorylated serines, low-dose compounded
DHEA, ginseng, and licorice.
We personalize the therapy to each woman’s symptoms and test
results. (We urge you not to self-prescribe these substances, as
they can have adverse health effects. ) It’s important to emphasize
the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from past hurts, self-
destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems — your past
and present emotional experience may serve as an ever-present
stressor. Dealing with these problems directly is much more
beneficial than trying to compensate for the stress they create, in
the same way that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure."
In all but the most extreme cases, we expect to see dramatic
improvement within about four months. For mild to moderate
adrenal fatigue the turnaround can be much faster. Remember,
you may feel too tired to make changes now, but by moving
forward in stages, you’ll build the strength you need to stay with it.
You will love how you feel when you do!
A Personalized Program is a great place to start. At
Balanced Body Wellness Centre each person is treated as a
unique individual. Our personalized programs promote
natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements,
endocrine support formulas, dietary and lifestyle guidance.
Call 770-425-6068 today to get started!
The adrenal glands are orange-colored endocrine glands which
are located on the top of both kidneys. The adrenal glands are
triangular shaped and measure about one-half inch in height and
3 inches in length. Each gland consists of a medulla (the center of
the gland) which is surrounded by the cortex. The medulla is
responsible for producing epinephrine and norepinephrine
(adrenaline). The adrenal cortex produces other hormones
necessary for fluid and electrolyte (salt) balance in the body such
as cortisone and aldosterone. The adrenal cortex also makes sex
hormones but this only becomes important if overproduction is
present.
The basic task of your adrenal glands is to rush all your body’s
resources into "fight or flight" mode by increasing production of
adrenaline and other hormones. When healthy, your adrenals can
instantly increase your heart rate and blood pressure, release
your energy stores for immediate use, slow your digestion and
other secondary functions, and sharpen your senses.
Our patients’ most common symptoms are fatigue, insomnia,
weight gain, and depression. Does that sound like you? If so, your
underlying problem may be adrenal fatigue.
Every woman who comes to our clinic with these symptoms gets
an adrenal fatigue test, which consists of a series of tests of
cortisol levels. And the results — in over thousands of cases —
are remarkably consistent: only 1% have cortisol levels indicating
healthy adrenal function, while 99% suffer impaired function,
ranging from significant adrenal stress to complete adrenal
exhaustion.
The effects of adrenal dysfunction can be profound: fatigue and
weakness, suppression of the immune system, muscle and bone
loss, moodiness or depression, hormonal imbalance, skin
problems, autoimmune disorders, and dozens of other symptoms.
The good news is that adrenal fatigue can almost always be
relieved. Let’s look at the relationships between stress, high
cortisol levels and adrenal fatigue, and then we’ll look at how you
can give your adrenals more support.
Some Symptoms of Adrenal Dysfunction are:
• Fatigue
• Feeling tired despite sufficient hours of sleep
• Insomnia
• Weight gain
• Depression
• Hair loss
• Acne
• Reliance on stimulants like caffeine
• Cravings for carbohydrates or sugars
• Cravings for salt
• Poor immune function
• Intolerance to cold
Related conditions
Adrenal fatigue is a likely factor in several medical conditions such
as the following:
• Hypotension
• Fibromyalgia
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Arthritis
• Premature menopause
Testing for adrenal fatigue
Conventional medicine is truly wonderful at treating disease-state
conditions. Unfortunately its focus on drugs also tends to
suppress early-stage symptoms rather than treat their underlying
causes. This can have the effect of delaying treatment until a
disease state has developed. This is true in the case of adrenal
fatigue cortisol testing. In the conventional standard of care, any
cortisol level within a very broad range is considered normal, and
anything outside that range indicates disease.
In our practice, we measure cortisol levels at several points in the
day to track the adrenals’ day–night pattern (called the “diurnal
rhythm”) using a panel of simple saliva tests. We hope to see
cortisol elevated in the morning to help you get going, lower but
steady throughout the day to sustain energy, then fall in the
evening to support restful sleep.
In the early stages of adrenal dysfunction, cortisol levels are too
high during the day and continue rising in the evening. This is
called “hyperadrenia.” In the middle stages, cortisol may rise and
fall unevenly as the body struggles to balance itself despite the
disruptions of caffeine, carbs and other factors, but levels are not
normal and are typically too high at night. In advanced stages,
when the adrenals are exhausted from overwork, cortisol will
never reach normal levels (“hypoadrenia”).
Conventional medicine will detect only the extremes of these
conditions, when damage to the adrenals has already occurred
(Cushing’s disease and Addison’s disease). Within those
extremes, you can feel miserable and still be told your cortisol
levels are normal. But by responding to early-stage symptoms of
adrenal fatigue, we can reverse the developing dysfunction.
Should you get an adrenal test?
In general, if you feel happy and well, have steady energy and
emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up
feeling rested, recover well from stress, and maintain a healthy
weight without dieting, then your adrenals are probably doing well.
On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel
emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less
than seven hours a night, can’t lose excess weight even while
dieting, use caffeine or carbohydrates as “pick-me-ups” — these
are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.
Natural adrenal support — how to restore healthy adrenal
function
The first step is to have a full physical exam to rule out disease or
other factors. In our experience, women with mild to moderate
cases of adrenal fatigue can see significant improvement through
these steps:(Adrenal Fatigue do's & don'ts)
• Dietary changes to enrich your nutrition and reduce
carbohydrates and stimulants. We also recommend the
addition of
high-quality nutritional supplements, including essential fatty
acids from fish oil.
• Stress reduction, including moderate exercise and
taking more time for yourself. It’s helpful to make a list of your
stressors, especially those that are constant.
• Get more rest. Your body needs time to heal.
Women with more severe symptoms, or those who have reached
complete adrenal exhaustion, usually need greater intervention. At
our practice we use the steps outlined above with the added
natural support of phosphorylated serines, low-dose compounded
DHEA, ginseng, and licorice.
We personalize the therapy to each woman’s symptoms and test
results. (We urge you not to self-prescribe these substances, as
they can have adverse health effects. ) It’s important to emphasize
the role of emotional factors. Guilt, pain from past hurts, self-
destructive habits, unresolved relationship problems — your past
and present emotional experience may serve as an ever-present
stressor. Dealing with these problems directly is much more
beneficial than trying to compensate for the stress they create, in
the same way that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure."
In all but the most extreme cases, we expect to see dramatic
improvement within about four months. For mild to moderate
adrenal fatigue the turnaround can be much faster. Remember,
you may feel too tired to make changes now, but by moving
forward in stages, you’ll build the strength you need to stay with it.
You will love how you feel when you do!
A Personalized Program is a great place to start. At
Balanced Body Wellness Centre each person is treated as a
unique individual. Our personalized programs promote
natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements,
endocrine support formulas, dietary and lifestyle guidance.
Call 770-425-6068 today to get started!
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