Adrenal fatigue is a common syndrome in America, but a lot of people may not even realize they are suffering from it. So here we answer the question: What is adrenal fatigue, and how can we deal with it?
Adrenal fatigue happens when the adrenal glands function below a certain level. Just what is adrenal fatigue? Your adrenal glands make hormones, including cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for helping the body deal with stress. The popular theory is that if your life is way too stressful, your adrenal glands may not pump out enough of the hormone, leading to a range of symptoms. People who suffer from adrenal fatigue may not experience a lot of obvious signs of the syndrome, but they all live with tiredness and a general feeling of being unwell.
What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?
Stress is the number one cause of adrenal fatigue and, as we all know, stress can come from any aspect of our lives. There are other adrenal fatigue causes. The list below describes them in brief:- Diet: Eating too much sugar can lead to the production of extra cortisol and insulin, which can put stress on our adrenals. Excess weight has been linked to adrenal fatigue, too.
- Poor sleep: The body needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night. If you aren’t getting it, you put yourself at risk of adrenal fatigue.
- Chemicals and pollutants: Toxins in our food and pollutants in the air are factors that can contribute to toxic load. Toxins are known to disrupt adrenal function.
- Chronic disease: When someone suffers from asthma, arthritis, diabetes, or some other chronic disease, it puts demand on the adrenal glands. In these cases, the adrenal glands become overworked and fatigued. Sometimes, the treatments for these diseases can be stressful on the body as well.
- Trauma: Severe physical trauma can also lead to adrenal fatigue. This includes car crashes and other types of accidents, as well as surgeries.
Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms
While feeling tired is the most common complaint among sufferers, there are many other adrenal fatigue symptoms a person might experience. For example, it may be difficult for a person with adrenal fatigue to get out of bed in the morning, even after they have had a long sleep. Doctors say this is due to the fact that adrenaline and cortisol levels are high in the early stages of the condition. In the later stages, adrenals become depleted and unable to produce enough of the hormones needed, and this means fatigue can become extreme.Other Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms
- Difficulty coping with stress: We rely on adrenals to help regulate our stress response, allowing us to increase strength and awareness, but when our adrenals are fatigued, we struggle to release the required amount of hormones, so it is hard to cope.
- Salt cravings: Adrenal fatigue sufferers lose the ability to balance minerals, so they often get cravings for food such as sodium.
- Higher energy in the evenings: Healthy individuals experience their highest level of energy in the morning due to rising cortisol levels, which start to decline gradually through the day. However, those with adrenal fatigue tend to experience spikes of cortisol late in the afternoon or evening, which leads to insomnia.
- Overuse of stimulants: When people try to feed their fatigue with sugar or caffeine, it can backfire. Stimulants can ultimately lead to more fatigue.
- Weak immune system: Cortisol helps regulate our immune system. Maintaining a balanced level (not too low and not too high) is key to good health.
- Asthma and allergies.
- Dizziness.
- Frequent urination.
- Joint pain.
- Muscle loss.
- Low blood pressure.
- Poor circulation.
- Weight gain.
