What is Adrenal Fatigue? + 8 Tips to Combat It!
Do you regularly suffer from nagging symptoms such as fatigue, trouble falling/staying sleep, weight gain, or constantly feeling STRESSED no matter what you do...
...but have never been able to figure out WHY?
If so, it may be time to talk about ADRENAL FATIGUE.
But first, what are the Adrenal Glands?
The adrenals are two small, triangular-shaped glands which rest atop each kidney and are part of the endocrine system. Together with the hypothalamus, pituitary & thyroid glands, the adrenal glands directly regulate the body's stress response by producing hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.
Through these important "stress" hormones, the adrenal glands play a pivotal role in the regulation of stress, metabolism, blood sugar, energy levels, libido, blood pressure, immunity and more essential bodily processes.
What is Adrenal Fatigue?
The stress hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine) produced by our adrenal glands are crucial in the right type of situations such as emergencies, life threatening or survival situations, allergic reactions, and more.
However, when the body is consistently exposed to high levels of stress (such as those who are chronically stressed), these hormones become over-produced and the adrenal glands become over-worked.
This not only leaves us in a sympathetic "flight-or-flight" state and further inhibits the body from returning to its desired parasympathetic “rest and digest” state...but it also, when left unmanaged, can also affect the function and efficiency of our adrenal glands.
In time, adrenal fatigue can occur, in which the adrenals are no longer able to produce optimal amounts of these important stress hormones.
Other Causes + Signs & Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
Oftentimes, the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue are similar to that of other hormonal imbalances which can make it difficult to pinpoint. Further, this common condition is also not formally diagnosed in most conventional medical practices.
However, because it's clear the health and function of our body systems (especially the endocrine system) can become compromised when the body is under enough stress, it's important to identify this condition and understand it's underlying root cause(s).
To try and help you identify if this is something you may be dealing with, below is a list of signs & symptoms commonly associated with adrenal fatigue:
insomnia
feeling tired upon waking
intense unexplained fatigue
feeling easily agitated
poor stress response
brain fog
lightheadedness
weakened immune system
weight gain
hair loss
mood disorders