ADRENAL FATIGUE

Your two adrenal glands are small, triangular-shaped endocrine glands located on the top of each kidney. Each adrenal gland is approximately 3 inches wide, and a half inch high.

Each gland is divided into an outer cortex and an inner medulla. The cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland secrete different hormones. The outer layer of the gland, called the adrenal cortex, produces hormones including cortisol, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone. The centers of the glands produce adrenaline, the hormone named after them. The adrenal cortex is essential to life, but the medulla may be removed with no life-threatening effects.

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.

Unlike our ancestors, we live with constant stress. Instead of occasional, acute demands followed by rest, we’re constantly over-worked, under-nourished, exposed to environmental toxins, worrying about others — with no let-up.

Every challenge to the mind and body creates a demand on the adrenal glands. And the list of challenges is endless: lack of sleep, a demanding boss, the threat of losing your job, financial pressures, personality conflicts, yo-yo dieting, relationship turmoil, death or illness of a loved one, skipping meals, reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbs, digestive problems, over-exercise, illness or infection, unresolved emotional issues from our past or present and more. The result is adrenal glands that are constantly on high alert.

Stresses like a demanding job, raising a family, relationship issues, lack of sleep, financial pressures, improper nutrition, dieting, and unresolved emotional distress cause the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. However, when we ask our adrenal glands to chronically sustain high cortisol levels, they eventually become fatigued. The resulting adrenal dysfunction not only affects cortisol production, but also impairs the adrenals’ ability to produce and balance hormones like DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

CORTISOL

In its normal function, cortisol helps us meet these challenges by converting proteins into energy, releasing glycogen and counteracting inflammation. For a short time, that’s okay. But at sustained high levels, cortisol gradually tears your body down. Cortisol:

1. Mobilises and increases amino acids in the blood and liver for use as fuel source
2. Mobilises fatty acids to be used as fuel for energy source
3. Counters inflammatory cascade and reduces allergic response
4. Maintains blood pressure and volume by controlling sodium retention
5. Provides resistance to stress (infection, trauma etc)
6. Increases mental and physical energy
7. Dampens inflammation and depresses the immune system
8. Aids mood and emotional stability
Sustained high cortisol levels destroys healthy muscle and bone, slows down healing and normal cell regeneration, co-opts biochemicals needed to make other vital hormones, impairs digestion, metabolism and mental function, interferes with healthy endocrine function and weakens your immune system.

DHEA

When the adrenals are chronically overworked and straining to maintain high cortisol levels, they lose the capacity to produce DHEA in sufficient amounts. DHEA (the full name is dehydroepiandrosterone) is a precursor hormone to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and is necessary to moderate the balance of hormones in your body. Insufficient DHEA contributes to fatigue, bone loss, loss of muscle mass, depression, aching joints, decreased sex drive, and impaired immune function.

DHEA serves as a metabolic intermediate in the pathway for synthesis of testosterone, oestrogen, and oestradiol. It also affects lipogenesis, mitochondrial respiration, protein synthesis, and thyroid hormone function. The decline of DHEA levels with ageing correlates with a general decline in cell-mediated immunity and increased incidence of malignancies, suggesting an immuno-modulatory effect of DHEA. DHEA was shown to have an anti-obesity effect by

decreasing adipose tissue, hyperinsulinemia and food intake. DHEA could also serve as an important modifiable factor in the development and progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

Low DHEA/cortisol ratios are frequently seen in patients with surgical stress, depression, anorexia and panic disorders. Decreased DHEA levels may be seen in thyroid disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, reduced immunity, rheumatic diseases and excess cortisol production, or with administration of pharmacological doses of glucocorticosteroids. Low levels are indicative of a lowered capacity to endure physiological/ psychological stress/ trauma/ injury, and may present with abnormal immune response, with increased incidence of autoimmune disease. Functions of DHEA:

1. Stimulates and strengthens the immune system by improving resistance to microbes, allergies and cancer, by concentrating the suppressive effect caused by excessive cortisol
2. Improves metabolism by aiding efficient conversion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to energy. This in
   turn can reduce fat storage
3. It can slow down the natural aging process
4. Aids dietary protein synthesis helping mood, optimum wellness and reducing food intolerances
5. It can help prevent osteoporosis
6. Lowers LDL cholesterol levels (LDL cholesterol can contribute to heart disease)
7. Decreases PMS and menstrual difficulties
8. Decreases cravings
9. Increases the basal metabolic rate, thereby discouraging fat storage

The adrenals produce hormones that help to balance your blood sugar, which helps your body to manage your daily ebbs and flows of energy. When blood sugar drops, the adrenals release hormones that cause the blood sugar to rise, and increases energy. The adrenals also release hormones when we're under stress, releasing energy. It's the "fight or flight" response from the days when we needed to run away from wild animals, which now kicks in for everyday stressors, such as traffic jams, arguments, and work pressures.

But being consistently under stress takes a toll on the adrenal glands, and eventually, they run out of steam, and stop producing sufficient hormones.

Conventional endocrinologists and tests cannot diagnose adrenal fatigue, because they are prepared only to diagnose extreme dysfunction in the adrenals, such as Addison's disease, a potentially fatal condition where the adrenals essentially shut down.

Your holistic or complementary practitioner can do a saliva cortisol test to evaluate your adrenal function, however, to diagnose more subtle dysfunctions in your adrenal glands.

SYMPTOMS OF ADRENAL FATIGUE

• Thin, can’t gain weight.
• Full eyebrows.
• Tendency to pallor. A pale color, especially around the mouth.
• Dark circles round eyes.
• Flat feet/double jointed.
• Vitiligo.
• Tans very easily.
• Dry, thin skin.
• Can’t tolerate cold, cold hands and feet.
• Dry, thin, wispy hair with a tendency to hair loss.
• Tendency to hypoglycemia. May need many small meals.
• Headaches, migraines, carpal tunnel.
• Tends to low body temperature.
• Immune system tends to over-react resulting in allergies, sensitivities, autoimmune problems.
• Exercise causes fatigue. Can't persevere. If severe, body temperature drops after exercise.
• Bowel function tends to be irritable, or hyperactive. Transit time may be too fast (food exits stomach too fast causing poor [enzymatic] digestion)
• Sleep pattern: insomnia, light sleeper, waking up at 2-4 AM, unrefreshing sleep.
• Often has difficulty digesting meat, or other proteins. Some foods troublesome. Tends to digest meat poorly because of low gastric acidity. May think you have high acidity because of occasional heartburn or heartburn with digestive enzymes containing digestive acid. The problem is usually not one of inadequate acid production, but less adequate gastric protection. This could be helped by taking Slippery Elm about ½ hr before the meal. It produces increased secretion of gastric (stomach) mucous protective layer. This helps to prevent irritation by the acids in the stomach.
• Excessive sweating in early phase. Difficult to sweat in late phase.
• Energy pattern: Complains of fatigue or exhaustion, "wired and tired", can't persevere, low motivation.
• Mental abilities: Poor focus, clarity, concentration, short-term memory. Brain fog.
• Dietary habits: Often lean toward being vegetarian or avoids certain foods.
• Cravings: Sweets, carbohydrates, salt (any combination), black licorice.
• Anxiety, panic attacks, worry, fear, insecurity, feelings of impending doom (any combination). "I thought I was dying..."
• Malabsorbtion of foods/supplements.
• Acne.
• Reliance on stimulants like caffeine.
• Feeling rundown or overwhelmed.
• You feel most energetic in the evening.
• Slow to recover from injury, illness.
• Food or environmental allergies.
• Consistent low blood pressure.
• Increased blood sugar under stress.
• Increased PMS, perimenopausal, or menopausal symptoms under stress.
• Muscle weakness.
• Decreased sex drive.
• Mild constipation alternating with diarrhea.

Adrenal fatigue is a likely factor in several medical conditions such as the following:

• Fibromyalgia
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Arthritis
• Premature menopause

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