Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, How Do You know You Suffer From Adrenal Fatigue?

Suffering From Low Energy? You Could Be Suffering From Adrenal Fatigue! 

Myalgic encephalomyelitis – chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), Adrenal Fatigue:

First off it is important to understand just what adrenal is; and adrenal is a gland in the body that produces hormones such as cortisol, DEHA, and adrenaline which helps to keep the body’s system in alignment. When the adrenal glands stop functioning properly a person will experience excessive tiredness or fatigue in what is known as adrenal fatigue.

The Adrenal Fatigue:

is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances, and digestive problems? The term often shows up in popular health books and on alternative medicine websites, but it isn’t an accepted medical diagnosis.

Your adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones that are essential to life. The medical term adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease) refers to the inadequate production of one or more of these hormones as a result of an underlying disease.

Adrenal Glands and Hormones:

A lot of research has been conducted on this condition and also its relationship to other similar conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome. The body’s failure to produce critical hormones from the adrenal glands has been the sole reason that people experience a loss of energy. The condition has been compounded by the fact that symptoms are hard to diagnose, simply because they resemble many other conditions.

No scientific proof exists to support adrenal fatigue as a true medical condition.

Doctors are concerned that if you are told you have this condition, the real cause of your symptoms may not be found and treated correctly. Also, the reported treatment for adrenal fatigue may be expensive, since insurance companies are unlikely to cover the costs.

What is Myalgic encephalomyelitis “ME” – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome “CFS”?

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling and complex illness. People with ME/CFS are often not able to do their usual activities. At times, ME/CFS may confine them to bed. People with ME/CFS have overwhelming fatigue that is not improved by rest.

ME/CFS may get worse after any activity, whether it’s physical or mental. This symptom is known as post-exertional malaise (PEM). Other symptoms can include problems with sleep, thinking and concentrating, pain, and dizziness. People with ME/CFS may not look ill.

However: 

• People with ME/CFS are not able to function the same way they did before they became ill.
• ME/CFS changes people’s ability to do daily tasks, like taking a shower or preparing a meal.
• Also, ME/CFS often makes it hard to keep a job, go to school, and take part in family and social life.
• ME/CFS can last for years and sometimes leads to serious disability.
• At least one in four ME/CFS patients is bed- or house-bound for long periods during their illness.

 

Who can get ME – CFS?

• Anyone can get ME/CFS. While most common in people between 40 and 60 years old, the illness affects children, adolescents, and adults of all ages.
• Among adults, women are affected more often than men.
• Whites are diagnosed more than other races and ethnicities.
• But many people with ME/CFS have not been diagnosed, especially among minorities.

General Signs and Symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency may include:

• Fatigue.
• Body aches.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Low blood pressure.
• Lightheadedness.
• Loss of body hair.
• Skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation).

A. Major Symptoms:

While there are many different warning signs and symptoms, there are some that are more important to watch out for than others. These major symptoms include one or more of the following:

• Excessive tiredness or fatigue.
• Low energy or stamina to complete normal everyday tasks.
• A decrease in sexual intimacies or low libido.
• Depression or anxiety with or without panic attacks, or an increase in respiratory infections.

B. Common Symptoms:

Some of the more common, yet equally important symptoms include one or more of the following:

• Changes in memory retention.
• Craving sugary treats or caffeine.
• Changes in weight.
• Dizziness.
• Headaches.
• Inability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
• Inability to stay focused on tasks.
• Lightheadedness.
• Low blood pressure.
• and low blood sugar levels.

 

What are the Causes?

Adrenal Fatigue results when your adrenal glands are damaged, producing insufficient amounts of the hormone cortisol and often aldosterone as well. These glands are located just above your kidneys. As part of your endocrine system, they produce hormones that give instructions to virtually every organ and tissue in your body.

Your adrenal glands are composed of two sections.

• The interior (medulla) produces adrenaline-like hormones.
• And the outer layer (cortex) produces a group of hormones called corticosteroids, which include glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and male sex hormones (androgens).

 

Scientists have not yet identified what causes myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). It is possible that ME/CFS has more than one cause, meaning that patients with ME/CFS could have illnesses resulting from different causes. In addition, it is possible that two or more triggers might work together to cause the illness.

Some of the areas that are being studied as possible causes of ME/CFS are:

A. Infections: 

• People with ME/CFS often have their illness begin in a way that reminds them of getting the flu.
• This has made researchers suspect an infection may trigger ME/CFS.
• People with these infections who had severe symptoms are more likely than those with mild symptoms to later develop ME/CFS symptoms.

 

B. Immune System Change:

• It is possible that ME/CFS is caused by a change in the person’s immune system and the way it responds to infection or stress.
• ME/CFS shares some features of autoimmune illnesses (diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues in its own body, like in rheumatoid arthritis).

Scientists think that the immune system might be contributing to ME/CFS in other ways, including:

• Chronic production of cytokines (cytokines are proteins that are produced by the immune system and regulate the behavior of other cells).
• Low-functioning natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells are cells of the immune system that help the body fight infections. Many patients with ME/CFS have NK cells with the lower functional ability to fight infections.
• Differences in markers of T-cell activation. T-cells are cells of the immune system that help activate and suppress immune responses to infections. If they become too active or not active enough, the immune response does not work as it should. However, not all patients with ME/CFS appear to have these differences in markers of T-cell activation.

 

C. Stress Affecting Body Chemistry:

• Patients with ME/CFS commonly report physical or emotional stress before they become ill.
• Some patients with ME/CFS have lower levels of cortisol than healthy people, but their cortisol levels are still within the normal range.
• Therefore, doctors cannot use cortisol levels to diagnose or treat ME/CFS.

 

Changes in Energy production:

Scientists found differences between people with ME/CFS and healthy people in the way cells in their bodies get their energy. However, more studies are needed to figure out how these findings may be contributing to the illness.

Possible Genetic Link:

Members of the same family sometimes have ME/CFS. Studies done in twins and families suggest that both genes and environment might play a role in ME/CFS. Scientists have not yet found the exact genes or other factors from the environment that may be responsible. More research is needed.

Stages of Adrenal Fatigue:

I. Stage One:

• A normal functioning adrenal gland produces many hormones, the most important being cortisol, a hormone that helps the body deal with stress.
• Stage one of adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal gland increases the production of cortisol.
• When cortisol levels elevate, it’s similar to seeing a bear in the woods and becoming frightened.
• In this stage, the body will stay in a high-stress state, never calming down and never being able to escape the bear.

 

High cortisol levels occurring in stage one usually causes increased sugar cravings, anxiety, and depression.

II. Stage Two:

• In stage two cortisol levels are unstable. They fluctuate up and down, sometimes from week to week, day to day, or even hour to hour.
• A person who suffers from stage two adrenal fatigue may feel fine one day and then the next to be extremely fatigued.
• The adrenal gland will first give the body a low period, where it doesn’t pump any cortisol, but then it becomes stressed and compensates by pumping too much cortisol.

In stage two a person will generally crave more sugar to increase energy levels.

III. Stage Three:

• The third stage in adrenal fatigue is complete fatigue.
• The adrenal gland ceases to pump out hormones causing low levels of cortisol, serotonin, DHEA, and epinephrine.
• A person generally feels very depressed in the third stage.

 

When a person reaches this stage and seeks medical help, physicians often place them on anti-depressant drugs instead of looking at adrenal gland function.

Other Effects on The Body:

Adrenal fatigue can be very taxing on the body. Not only does it affect the immune system but also gut health. It can affect the stomach’s intestinal lining, breaking down the integrity of the intestines and causing diarrhea, constipation, inflammation, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, and DHEA are affected by adrenal function.

These hormones are decreased as the adrenal gland places its focus on producing more cortisol. Lower levels of these hormones can cause many other complications.

Cortisol levels also have an effect on blood pressure, elevating levels when more cortisol is produced, and lowering blood pressure when there is less. Over time, however, blood pressure will become elevated, as well as higher cholesterol levels and the chance of developing diabetes.

How is Adrenal fatigue diagnosed?

Adrenal fatigue can be difficult to diagnose. There is no specific test for CFS, and other illnesses can cause similar symptoms. Your health care provider has to rule out other diseases before making a diagnosis of Adrenal Fatigue.

He or she will do a thorough medical exam, including:

• Asking about your medical history and your family’s medical history.
• Also, Asking about your current illness, including your symptoms. Your doctor will want to know how often you have symptoms, how bad they are, how long they have lasted, and how they affect your life.
• A thorough physical and mental status exam.
• Blood, urine, or other tests.

What are the treatments for Adrenal Fatigue?

There is no cure or approved treatment for CFS Adrenal Fatigue, but you may be able to treat or manage some of your symptoms. You, your family, and your health care provider should work together to decide on a plan. You should figure out which symptom causes the most problems and try to treat that first. For example, if sleep problems affect you the most, you might first try using good sleep habits. If those do not help, you may need to take medicines or see a sleep specialist.

Strategies such as learning new ways to manage activity can also be helpful. You need to make sure that you do not “push and crash.” This can happen when you feel better, do too much, and then get worse again.

Since the process of developing a treatment plan and attending to self-care can be hard if you have CFS, it is important to have support from family members and friends.

Don’t try any new treatments without talking to your health care provider. Some treatments that are promoted as cures for CFS are unproven, often costly, and could be dangerous.

Treatment Options:

The testing of adrenal function is done through a simple saliva test. After assessing the results, there are a number of different treatment options, which vary from case to case.

A huge part of treatment is stress control. This can be done through:

• Meditation.
• Yoga.
• Running.
• Reading or however, the individual is able to calm the body down.

 

A healthy diet is also very important for healthy adrenal function and should consist of less sugar and carbohydrate-based foods.  Breakfast and lunch should never be skipped and should include more protein-based foods and vegetables with small portions of complex carbs.

If a person is too busy to eat, then they most likely have an adrenal issue, and they need to take a few minutes to relax and enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of fruit.

Adrenal Fatigue is often treated with nutrients, as well as B and C vitamins. Some herbs that are commonly used are Rhodiola, ginseng, and Glycyrrhiza (licorice).

It is very important to note that each person is different and therefore each treatment is different. A person that feels they may suffer from adrenal fatigue should always consult a naturopathic physician before beginning to take any herb.

A. Foods Suggestions:

The home remedies for adrenal fatigue consist of the consumption of regular little meals and an adequate diet rich in whole grains, salubrious oils, and veggies. Sugar and caffeine which are stimulants need to be out of your range due to they put an extra load on the adrenals.

Some superfoods:

• Wheat Germs and Sprouts.
• Deep Ocean Fish.
• Whole Grain.
• Kelp.
• Turkey.
• Coconut.
• Flaxseed.

B. Supplements: 

Everyday consumption of multivitamins may aid to antagonize the signs linked to adrenal deficiency. Precisely, vitamin E, vitamin B, vitamin C, and magnesium together with the herbs referred to as Siberian ginseng and licorice are believed to assist in the fighting of adrenal fatigue.

Supplements For Adrenal Fatigue Usually Found In Food:

1. Iron:

This is a very important mineral in providing oxygen to our blood supply.

• Iron actually helps in the production of red blood cells that carries the Hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component in our blood.
• A deficiency in iron also leads to a deficiency in oxygen that’s why a person with a decreased iron in his or her system will experience extreme fatigue a decreased physical mobility.
• Aside from taking iron supplements found in capsules, it can actually be found in foods such as organ meats (liver, gizzard, and heart), egg yolk, green leafy vegetables, nuts, lentils, and many more.

2. Zinc:

• Aside from maintaining the normal flora in our body such as in the digestive system, Zinc actually increases our energy by strengthening the immune system and our various muscles.
• Zinc is usually given to children who have diarrhea in the form of the liquid solution but zinc can also be found in laboratory-prepared multi-vitamins.
• Aside from those commercially prepared zincs, they can also be readily found in foods such as nuts, beans, shellfish, and oysters.

C. Management of stress:

To evade more worsening symptoms linked to adrenal depletion, lower stress by having breaks while you work in the office, engage in yoga, and do meditation.

D. Hormone Therapy:

Nonprescription hormones therapies like DHEA are, at times, the designation for adrenal depletion. Among the good type to select from is Northrup. Nevertheless, you should have it under the direction of a registered physician as it is essential to obtain a superior supplement and to get your hormone levels examined.

E. Use herbal remedies:

A number of herbs such as Skullcap, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Maca, and Ginseng can act as calming agents and adaptogens, helping the body adapt better to the effects of stress. Most have to be used regularly, over a period of time to show beneficial effects, but they should always be used under the supervision of a herbal or medical practitioner.

F. Get regular exercise:

Any form of exercise can help reduce stress levels by producing endorphins and chemicals that boost immunity. Some especially beneficial types to treat chronic stress are yoga, qigong, and martial arts like tai chi, which regulate and balance energy flow throughout the body.

While the best way to deal with adrenal fatigue is to prevent it, making changes in your lifestyle using the steps above can reduce and alleviate the damage caused by stress so that you can get your life and your health back on track again.

Tips And Prevention:

Adrenal fatigue is one of those things that accumulate over time and it is not like you can give yourself an injection and feel all better. Nor is it practical to change your whole life around overnight. But you do need to do something and making small changes is the way to go. Make bad habits good ones, do the things you do not that you should do, and do not do the things that you do that you should not do.

Quick tips to help you with your adrenal fatigue:

• Eat breakfast, good breakfast with fruit and whole grain.
• Stop eating junk food and processed food.
• Sleep well and regularly at least 7-8 hours a night.
• Do not go to bed rest to feel better. Small regular exercise is the key.
• Stay away from stress. Find ways to not get involved in things you really can not help.
• More laughter.
• Small breaks to lie down and rest.
• Eat regularly and do not skip meals.
• Go to bed early and sleep in if possible.
• Chew your food well.
• Make sure your diet has whole grains, protein, nut and seed oil, fiber, flax, and fish oil.
• Take vitamins and minerals-Ask your doctor or pharmacist for what works the best.

 

Dealing with adrenal fatigue is a lifestyle thing. Incorporate changes into your life that you can live with and you will prevent a lot of the symptoms. Talk to your doctor and listen to what he has to say and go through the process of cleansing.

If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.

Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”

Sources

Excellent nutrition is the basis of a healthy Lifestyle!

Liked the article? Share the love!