Adrenal Fatigue

 I thought I should blog about adrenal fatigue as it is becoming more frequent these days. I would recommend you take the time and read the information I have collected as it is essential we keep our adrenals healthy, if not then we are going to have a very stressful life. One that I would rather not.
I have adrenal fatigue due to not looking after myself in the past, not listening to the body, lack of rest, shift work ..ect.. 
You can recover from adrenal fatigue but it is a very slow process and it takes a lot of dedication in doing the right thing :)  While I am working shift work and putting myself through extreme stress on night shift- my adrenals are not going to fully recover. I just have to make sure I do my best to help them as much as possible xx

 The adrenal glands are orange-colored endocrine glands which are located on the top of both kidneys.

No bigger than a walnut 

and weighing less than a grape, 

Each of your two adrenal glands sits like a tiny pyramid on top of a kidney ("ad" "renal" means "over" the "kidneys"). 


But.... don't let their size fool you; these powerful little endocrine glands manufacture and secrete more than 50 hormones necessary for life, including epinephrine (adrenaline), cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone and testosterone. Since they produce so many essential hormones, the adrenal glands are responsible for many of the functions we need to stay alive and healthy, including:

• Energy production -- carbohydrate, protein and fat conversion to blood glucose for energy
• Fluid and electrolyte balance
• Fat storage

One hormone in particular, cortisol, is extremely important for keeping our body systems in balance, as well as protecting our cells. For example:

• It controls the strength of the immune system: Too much cortisol weakens the immune system, setting the motions for increased susceptibility to infections and cancer, while too little leads to an overactive immune system and autoimmune disease.
• It normalizes blood sugar.
• It regulates blood pressure.

They modulate the functioning of every tissue, organ and gland in your body to maintain homeostasis during stress and keep you alive. 

They also have important effects on the way you think and feel.

The adrenal glands health is paradoxical. They are the "glands of stress," but are also the first glands to fail during prolonged or intense periods of stress. 
The problem with stressors is that they are "cumulative," in the sense that their impact tends to add up in the body over time until your adrenal glands (and probably your mental state) just can't take anymore.



The main purpose of your adrenals is to enable your body to deal with stress from every possible source, ranging from injury and disease to work and relationship problems. 

Whether you have an emotional crisis such as the death of a loved one, a physical crisis such as major surgery, or any type of severe repeated or constant stress in your life, 

Examples..  A difficult boss, 

air pollution, family quarrels, financial problems, too little sleep,

 illness and overindulgence in or sensitivities to food or drugs. 

If their response is inadequate, you are likely to experience some degree of adrenal fatigue.If your adrenal function is low, as it is in adrenal fatigue, your body has difficulty responding and adapting properly to these stresses.

This can lead to a variety of physical and psychological health problems that are themselves a further source of stress.

It is also your adrenal glands' job to keep your body's reactions to stress in balance so that they are appropriate and not harmful.

The more chronic the illness, the more critical the adrenal response becomes.

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a "syndrome," that results when the adrenal glands function, but not at their optimal level. 

You cannot live without your adrenal hormones, how well you live depends a great deal on how well your adrenal glands function

Most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia.

You may look and act relatively normal

 while experiencing adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or "gray" feelings.

People whose adrenals are fatigued often have to use coffee, 

colas and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

Although it affects millions of people  around the world, conventional medicine does not yet recognize it as a distinct syndrome.To make matters worse, doctors often don't diagnose this problem. I have read of an  example of a woman who has been to 37 doctors before finally receiving proper diagnosis and a renewed sense of hope.

Adrenal fatigue can wreak havoc with your life.

In the more serious cases, the activity of the adrenal glands is so diminished that you may have difficulty getting out of bed for more than a few hours a day. 

1. This following information was taking from www.naturalnews.com 
   
   
   Fortunately, there are ways you can test yourself for adrenal fatigue. To start off, go ahead and "check off" the symptoms you have been experiencing.
   

   Symptoms of adrenal fatigue:

   • Morning fatigue -- You don't really seem to "wake up" until 10 a.m., even if you've been awake since 7 a.m.
   • Afternoon "low" (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
   • Burst of energy at 6 p.m. -- You finally feel better from your afternoon lull.
   • Sleepiness at 9 to 10 p.m. -- However, you resist going to sleep.
   • "Second wind" at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally go to sleep.
   • Cravings for foods high in salt and fat
   • Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
   • Mild depression
   • Lack of energy
   • Decreased ability to handle stress
   • Muscular weakness
   • Increased allergies
   • Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or laying down position
   • Decreased sex drive
   • Frequent sighing
   • Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they're combined with fats and protein  

   
   

   
   

   In addition to noticing these symptoms in yourself, you can objectively check for adrenal fatigue by using the following three tests:
   

   1. Ragland's sign (blood pressure test)-- (Equipment required: Home blood pressure kit) Take your blood pressure while sitting down. Then, stand up and immediately take your blood pressure again. Your systolic (first) number should have raised 8 to 10 mm. If it dropped, you probably have adrenal fatigue.
   2. Pupil dilation exam-- (Equipment required: Flashlight and a mirror) Look into the mirror and shine the flashlight into the pupil of one eye. It should contract. If after 30 seconds, it stays the same or, even worse, dilates, you most likely have adrenal fatigue.
   3. Pain when pressing on adrenal glands (located over kidneys)

   Though the ACTH laboratory exam doesn't effectively test for adrenal fatigue, a salivary cortisol test can. You don't need a prescription for the exam. In fact, you can even buy the test online, do it at home and send in your sample to a lab for the results. Dr. Wilson is very positive about the effectiveness of the salivary cortisol test in diagnosing adrenal fatigue. It is so valid and accepted that Plan B Medicare covers it and "they don't want to cover anything they don't have to," he quips. If you don't have insurance, rest assured that this non-invasive test is also very affordable.
   
   

   Treatment of adrenal fatigue

   "Optimal adrenal health is one of the major keys to the enjoyment of life. If you have adrenal fatigue, you can fully live life again by making the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to treat your disorder.

   Treating adrenal fatigue is as easy as:

   • Lying down during your work breaks (preferably at 10 a.m. and again anytime from 3 to 5 p.m.)
   • Sleeping until 9 a.m. as often as possible
   • Laughing
   • Exercising
   • Minimizing stress
   • Taking negative people out of your life
   • Eating regular meals
   • Chewing well
   • Doing something fun each day
   • Combining unrefined carbohydrates with protein and oils
   • Avoiding junk food
   • Eating five to six servings of vegetables each day
   • Taking calcium and magnesium supplements
   • Adding sea salt to your diet
   • Taking 2,000 to 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day
   • Supplementing vitamin E with mixed tocopherols
   • Taking B-complex supplements that are high in B6 and pantothenic acid
   • Adding licorice root extract to your dietary supplement regimen

   
   Taking back your life
   

   If you take your treatment plan seriously, you can expect your adrenal fatigue to heal in:

   • 6 to 9 months for minor adrenal fatigue
   • 12 to 18 months for moderate fatigue
   • Up to 24 months for severe adrenal fatigue

   For help along the way to taking back your life, you may want to read Dr. Wilson's book,Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century stress syndrome.