There are many trigger words or fad diagnoses that will cycle through healthcare from time to time. One of these is adrenal fatigue. While it is a problem, it is not the problem and it is typically caused by a number of problems. So read on to learn more about your adrenal glands and adrenal fatigue.

The adrenal glands are two triangles of tissue that sit on top of our kidneys.  They play many roles in regulating our health and have become a large focus in natural healthcare and less of a focus in conventional medicine.

The adrenal glands have many jobs and we discussed their role in our post about menopause. However, symptoms of adrenal stress or adrenal fatigue can happen at any time in life and not just to women. To review from our menopause post, the adrenal glands produce cortisol which is often called our “stress hormone.” Cortisol raises blood sugar so that we are able to fight off whatever stress we might have. If the stress is a broken leg, we start to heal it. If it is an infection, we start to fight it. If it is an argument with our significant other, cortisol gives us the energy to “promote” our side of the story. Along with this enormous job of fighting stress, the adrenals also help with blood pressure regulation by balancing sodium and potassium, blood sugar regulation, and ligament stability for proper moving joints. The adrenal glands contribute to some very important jobs in keeping us alive and healthy. When they become overworked, which is a good possibility considering all of their jobs, they become fatigued and then they cannot do their jobs correctly either.

Each adrenal gland has two parts; both make different hormones which change the body’s physiology. The outer part of the adrenal gland produces hormones that regulate sodium and potassium balance (aldosterone) and balance blood sugar (cortisol). The inside of the adrenal gland produces hormones that are responsible for the fight or flight response (epinephrine/adrenaline).

Some symptoms of cortisol imbalance and therefore, adrenal stress are fatigue, weak immune system, headaches, craving sugar or caffeine, shaky or irritable if meals are missed, trouble falling asleep, or trouble staying asleep. Some symptoms of sodium and potassium imbalance are dehydration, excessive urination, excessive sweating, and craving salt. Other symptoms of stress of the adrenal glands are dizziness when transitioning from lying down to sitting or going from sitting to standing, asthma, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins.

While those are some of the direct influences the adrenal glands have on the body, indirectly it can influence metabolism, detoxification, proper digestion and absorption of nutrients, depression, and insomnia among many others.

So while the adrenal glands are a large part of many health problems, many times just supporting the adrenals with supplementation is not the answer to the problem. Remember, our job is to find the root cause of the problem. Sometime adrenal fatigue is just that and nutritional support will help.  However, many times the fatigue is related to some other problem. We need to find the source of the stress and treat it while additionally supporting the adrenals.

There are three main sources of stress. Physical stress is daily stress our body suffers from in its muscles, joints, and organs. Chemical or nutritional stress is the stress that comes from our food, air, water, and other sources of chemical exposures. Emotional stress comes from our jobs, family, friends, and even us. Most often there is a combination of the three. Our body is made to handle a certain amount of daily stress. We have to draw on reserves when this amount is surpassed. When we are continually stressed, the reserves are emptied and the body’s health becomes affected.

What we do in our office is identify where the body is breaking down and producing more stress. We do this through laboratory testing and examinations (chiropractic, neurological, nutritional). After identifying where the stress is coming from, we start in the area that will have the most profound impact and work our way toward returning you to optimal health.

If you would like more information on adrenal health, call us at (218) 727-3343.