Signs And Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms In Females Is Among Several Types Of Fatigue

Is fatigue weighing you down? Adrenal fatigue symptoms in females keep many from living their best lives. If you fight to get out of bed most mornings and hit the wall after lunch, fatigue has become your ball and chain. While adrenal fatigue symptoms in females are very common, there are two other types of fatigue right behind it. In fact, all three are often attributed to age. However, certain imbalances are also big contributors. Now, take a look at the three most common types of fatigue in females and treatment options to renew your energy from the inside out.

How Does Chronic Inflammation Stress You Out

What is inflammation? You probably know the word flammable which means something can go up in flames. The word inflammation comes from the Latin, inflamare, meaning to set on fire. In the human body, the fire happens in your tissues and organs where you cannot see it. It is often silent which means you dont feel it.

In the short run, inflammation heals injury and prevents an infection. Conversely, long term inflammation is the cause of 90% of all chronic diseases.

Inflammation is the bodys way of responding to harm. In the short run, inflammation is good. If you step on a dirty object, inflammation heals the injury and prevents an infection. When it happens all the time, it is a threat to your health. Long term inflammation is involved in 90% of all chronic diseases. These include heart disease, cancer, Alzheimers disease, arthritis, and many others. Inflammation is one of the causes of adrenal fatigue.

Signs And Symptoms You Have Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is estimated to affect over 80% of people in the world! The main culprits are chronic stress and lifestylethey affect the bodys ability to recuperate from physical, mental, and emotional stress.

Most people have suffered from adrenal fatigue in their lifetime, whether for a short period or chronic condition. Symptoms include: body aches, trouble concentrating, racing thoughts, moodiness and irritability, always tired, feeling overwhelmed, hormone imbalance, and cravings for sweet or salty foods. Adrenal fatigue can also be a major cause of excess fat storage and low energy levels. These symptoms can easily be overlooked, but more people are becoming aware that they could be indicators of adrenal fatigue and not depression or chronic fatigue.

Adrenal fatigue is a condition, which occurs when your body cant keep up with the amount of daily stress that many people experience. Wellness professionals believe than an episode of acute stress or prolonged, chronic stress can cause the adrenal glands to become overloaded and ineffective. Some causes of adrenal fatigue are: stressful emotional experiences such as divorce, death of a loved one, or surgery, exposure to environmental toxins and pollutants, prolonged stress due to financial hardships, unhealthy relationships, or bad work environments, negative thinking, emotional trauma, lack of sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise.

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Higher Energy Levels In The Evenings

The lower levels of cortisol can play havoc with our energy levels throughout the day. In a healthy person, cortisol reaches its highest level early in the morning before declining gradually throughout the day. However, some Adrenal Fatigue sufferers experience spikes in cortisol in the late afternoon and evening, often leading to insomnia.

A typical progression is to find yourself tired all day, then suddenly get a bounce in your energy levels late in the evening. This tends to occur in the earlier stages of Adrenal Fatigue when the adrenals are still capable of producing significant amounts of cortisol and adrenaline.

Primary Adrenal Insufficiency Vs Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency

When you go to the doctors with complaints of debilitating exhaustion, among other symptoms, youll either be dismissed or get lab testing done.

When you go to the doctors with complaints of debilitating exhaustion , one of two things is most likely to happen.

The second is much better, but lab testing doesnt actually recognize adrenal fatigue. No lab test says positive or negative, so chances are, even after your labs come back, your doctors will still say nothing is wrong. But you know your body better than anyone, and you know something is wrong.

There is, however, lab testing that recognizes Addisons disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency or a complete deficiency of the hormones made in the adrenals. Someone with Addisons disease lacks hormone production due to physical destruction of the gland.

If you dont have Addisons, then youre often chalked up to be completely fine. Sometimes, you will be told you have secondary adrenal insufficiency, which is when the glands are fine, but there is a suppression of hormone production from the pituitary gland, which signals adrenal hormone production. Anything that impacts the pituitary gland will impact the adrenals thanks to our HPA axis or internal stress system.

Lets dive into the key symptoms of adrenal fatigue, and then Ill tell you how you can get started feeling alive.

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This Is How To Recover From Adrenal Fatigue

Recovering from adrenal fatigue depends upon you. It means changing your lifestyle, changing your relationships with other people, and taking good care of yourself. I tell my patients to treat yourself just like you would a newborn babywith a lot of loving care and attention. When you are tired, go to sleep. When you are hungry be sure you have plenty of healthful, nourishing food. When you are stressed by someones demands, learn to say no, at least temporarily. In this way, you will slowly learn to take the stress off your adrenal glands and allow them to heal.

Women With Adrenal Issues Often Have Sleep And Caffeine Issues

For so many of us, its not just that we enjoy our cup of coffee in the morning or that its a comforting ritual. Its also that we need that caffeine to function!

If youre tired and you introduce caffeine, it will wake up your adrenal glands and force them to produce cortisol. As a result, youre going to feel as if you have energy. But its false energy and its temporary.

Caffeine disrupts the regular rhythm of cortisol. In effect, it distances you from your natural energy cycles, tricking your body into a state of emergency or high cortisol which ultimately makes you feel even more tired.

If you use caffeine to offset fatigue, your solution may actually be part of the problem that energy boost is going to lead to an energy crash and adrenals that are even more tapped out.

Hand in hand with caffeine dependency is often cravings for sugary simple carbohydrates. Because they quickly break down and raise your blood sugar, these carbs are doing the same thing that caffeine does providing you with a quick spike of energy that ultimately leads to even more fatigue.

Sleep issues are another hallmark of adrenal fatigue, especially trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. And again, its all driven by an imbalance of cortisol.

Long-term chronic stress is especially detrimental for sleep, keeping you up night after night and leaving you exhausted when its time to get up in the morning.

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Being Very Tired In The Afternoon

Just like being very tired in the morning, having an afternoon slump is very common in those with adrenal fatigue.

Normally, cortisol levels peak in the morning and begin to taper off throughout the day.

If this normal rhythm is disrupted, or if you have too much or too little overall cortisol production, you may notice that you have times of energy and exhaustion at odd hours.

*Tip: To avoid the afternoon slump that is so commonly experienced by people with adrenal fatigue, try these easy lifestyle changes:

• Have a small snack with protein, complex carbs, and fat
• Take 10 minutes to breathe and relax
• Make sure that you have been drinking enough water and be sure to include hydrating drinks
• Stay away from blue lights at night or use blue light blocking amber glasses
• Get bright light in the morning to help regulate your circadian rhythm. If you do not have a good amount of sun in the morning this light therapy lamp can be really helpful!

Signs And Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome

The presentation of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome can be affiliated with any of the following signs, symptoms, or conditions. Currently, there is no definitive laboratory test for AFS but you should always be on the lookout if you are suffering from a high number of the following Adrenal Fatigue symptoms.

Its important to note that not everyone has all of the signs and symptoms listed below associated with Adrenal Fatigue. Everyone’s body is different, and as such, everybody presents differently. However, the higher the intensity and the more widespread the symptoms listed below are, the higher the likelihood of having Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome becomes.

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Final Thoughts On 11 Signs Of Adrenal Fatigue

The label, adrenal fatigue, is somewhat misleading because when a person experiences symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, weight gain, mood swings, thyroid imbalance, light sensitivity, or any of the other numerous symptoms associated with this condition, it is not that the adrenals are tired, there is actually an imbalance between the systems that are so intricately linked.

Because of the lack of acknowledgment and understanding by many doctors and the seemingly general symptoms that make up this condition, it can be frustrating and often seem like we take one step forward and two steps back during the diagnosis or healing process.

But a path to healing can be found!

If you have these 11 signs of adrenal fatigue, take your next step on the road to healing by finding a doctor that will work with you, getting proper testing, and incorporating lifestyle changes. Some targeting supplements may help too

Good luck, I wish you the best on your journey!

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Reduce Your Toxic Load

The environment we live in is pretty toxic not surprising when you consider that over 84,000 chemicals are legally for sale in the US.

These toxins can wreak havoc on our bodies and significantly contribute to adrenal fatigue, as they interfere with hormones, immune function and mental health.

Wherever possible, buy organic food to avoid pesticide exposure, clear out these 10 sources of toxins from your home and kitchen, and check the labels on your skincare products!

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How Is Adrenal Fatigue Treated

Your alternative health practitioner may treat adrenal fatigue by recommending that you quit alcohol, drugs, caffeine, and cigarettes, eat certain foods, exercise more and get more sleep. All of this advice should make you feel better.

Some practitioners may recommend you take supplements and vitamins for adrenal fatigue. Always check with your doctor before you take supplements in case they are harmful for you or might react with your other medicines.

If you have unexplained fatigue or exhaustion that doesnt go away, see your doctor. Your doctor will probably ask you about your symptoms and run some tests to rule out other health problems. Treating an underlying issue, such as iron deficiency or a low thyroid level, can help reverse fatigue.

Why Choose Us

At CHOPs Adrenal and Puberty Center, your child will have access to a multidisciplinary team of specialists with extensive experience in the treatment of adrenal disorders. We have established programs to educate families about adrenal insufficiency and how to care for a child at risk for adrenal crisis.

We closely monitor all children in our care, ensuring they receive psychosocial support, nutritional counseling, access to various subspecialties according to their needs, and coordination of care.

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Is It A Myth

Thereâs no science to back it up. The Endocrine Society, the world’s largest organization of endocrinologists , flatly says that adrenal fatigue is not a real disease. And it says the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are so general, they can apply to many diseases or conditions or stem from everyday life.

And the society says some of the treatments can be dangerous. Improving your diet will probably make you feel better, no matter what ailment you have, but taking unidentified supplements to help your body produce extra cortisol if you don’t need them may cause your adrenal glands to stop working, it warns.

Takeaways About Adrenal Fatigue

• Adrenal fatigue is a syndrome, or a collection of signs and symptoms, that appears when your adrenal glands are doing a poor job managing hormones in response to chronic stress. It results in fatigue and a variety of other hormone-mediated symptoms.
• Because we tend to live in a state of chronic stress, adrenal fatigue is more common than most people realize, estimated to affect approximately 80 percent of Americans.
• Your adrenal glands are responsible for regulating the hormones in your endocrine system and function as your bodys control center. They influence almost every one of your organs and regulate digestion, cardiovascular health, neurological balance, inflammatory response, and more.
• Adrenal fatigue is a common link to most diseases.
• Fortunately, you can treat adrenal fatigue with natural therapies, such as eating a whole-foods based diet, taking adrenal-supporting herbs, participating in certain exercises shown to decrease stress, and fighting stress by practicing emotional self-care.

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The Key To Healing Extreme Adrenal Fatigue

The brains limbic system is the boss of the adrenals. It tells them how to react to stress. It also tells them to overreact again and again, and thats a problem.

When you soothe and calm your overstimulated limbic system, you can heal all symptoms of extreme Adrenal Fatigue. Effective healing for Adrenal Fatigue requires an analysis of your individual body . With diet, supplement, and lifestyle changes, as well as adequate support for your unique needs, your body can heal from even the most severe Adrenal Fatigue.

How Do Menopause And Perimenopause Affect Adrenal Fatigue

During mid-life, womens hormones begin to change. This time of life is called perimenopause. During perimenopause, estrogen levels may be higher than usual. This can cause adrenal fatigue. When women stop producing ova , estrogen decreases, and menstrual periods stop. This is called menopause. The symptoms of menopause are hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, and feeling tired. These symptoms are stressful and can further strain your adrenal glands.

Loss of estrogen during menopause makes it harder to handle stress. Estrogen replacement therapy with bioidentical hormones help women handle stress.

Moreover, some of these symptoms are the same symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue. Scientific studies have been done on estrogen and stress. Studies show that the loss of estrogen during menopause makes it harder for you to handle stress. They also show that estrogen replacement therapy with bioidentical hormones help women handle stress better.

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Which Of The Above Adrenal Fatigue Symptom Lists Do You Identify With

So many women expect themselves to keep juggling all the balls and be productive and successful in every area of their lives that they might miss the signs of stress and adrenal fatigue altogether. We spend so much time reassuring the people in our lives that were fine that we almost believe it ourselves until the effects of stress take over and demonstrate clearly that we are, in fact, not fine.

But you dont have to let your stress keep building. Take the time to really look at how you are feeling, and how stress might be influencing your life. My Adrenal Health Quiz can get you started. After youve identified what your adrenals might need for support from the adrenal fatigue symptoms list, Im here to help. My Feeling Tired Adrenal Program or Feeling Wired Adrenal Program can provide you with the specific supplemental support you need to get you back on track and on with your life!

Top 5 Things You Can Do To Feel Better If You Have Adrenal Fatigue

In the midst of your busy schedule, pencil in downtime during the day and start saying no more often to extraneous obligations that put you on overload. The school bake sale can still go off without a hitch without your famous homemade cookies that take you hours to make.

If there is something extra stressful that you must do, try to do it at a time when you will have time afterwards to relax and recover. So, that stressful meeting with your boss? Schedule it for just before a long and leisurely lunch in order to give your stress response a chance to turn back off.

Also, make sure you sleep during the right hours. Be in bed and sleeping by 10:00 or 10:30 PM at the latest. If you need to unwind, or it takes you awhile to fall asleep, then get to bed at 9:00 or 9:30 PM. Your night of sleep sets the stage for how easily youll handle stressors the next day. Make sleep a priority.

To help you sleep, try drinking soothing chamomile tea at the end of the day, or soak in an Epsom salts bath, or consider a relaxing herbal supplement to naturally help you wind down.

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Some Natural Approaches To Treating Adrenal Fatigue And Relieving Excess Stress Are:

• Meditation
• Building more downtime into the schedule
• Eating whole foods and eliminating processed sugars
• Staying hydrated

As is evident, the natural approach to treating adrenal fatigue is also a solid approach to living a healthier life that will promote longevity. Many in the medical community resist offering the diagnosis of adrenal fatigue since it is hard to prove. If you have several of the above symptoms, begin to implement some of the natural remedies. If the problems persist, insist on getting a real diagnosis.

The bottom line: Paying consistent attention to our overall well-being by improving our diet, sleep, physical activity levels, and stress management can lead to a holistic approach to handling many environmental induced conditions.