Do you feel tired all the time, do you crave salty snacks and are you losing body hair? You might be suffering from adrenal fatigue and not know about it.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue is literally a result of overworked adrenal glands.
Adrenal glands, also known as suprarenal glands, are small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys.
Their function is to help regulate the immune system, metabolism, blood pressure, and response to stress amongst other essential functions.
They produce several hormones, including cortisol, which is produced when we are under stress.
If we are exposed to stress over a long time, the adrenals can become inefficient at producing cortisol, resulting in a depletion of the hormone.
Adrenal Fatigue vs. Adrenal Insufficiency
According to medical professionals, there is no scientific proof that the condition exists, but alternative medicine practitioners believe the condition is the result of adrenal glands that can’t produce enough hormones.
They propose that adrenal fatigue is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress
Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue include:
- Extreme Tiredness
- Difficulty Falling Asleep
- Difficulty Waking Up
- Sugar and Salt Cravings
- Unexplained Weight Loss
- Lack of motivation
- Brain fog
Adrenal fatigue is not recognized as a medical condition.
Adrenal insufficiency, on the other hand, is considered an actual medical condition. Adrenal insufficiency happens when the adrenal glands produce insufficient hormones.
According to the medical profession, this happens when the adrenal glands have suffered damage or if there’s a problem with the pituitary gland, which gives the command to the adrenals to produce cortisol.
The pituitary gland is a tiny pea-sized gland in the brain.
Symptoms Of Adrenal Insufficiency
- Extreme fatigue
- Weight loss
- Decreased appetite
- Darkening of the skin
- Low blood pressure
- Body hair loss
- Salt craving
- Nausea
- And Gastrointestinal symptoms.
Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
The condition could be the result of other underlying factors such as conditions that are known to produce similar symptoms, such as heart, lung or kidney problems, infections, diabetes, anemia, sleep apnea, autoimmune diseases, liver disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
If test results indicate no biological cause for your symptoms, a mental health condition may be at the root of the problem.
At any rate, if you experience some of these symptoms, it would be wise to consult your health practitioner for a thorough checkup.
There is no simple solution to the condition. It requires a multi-pronged approach.
#1 Eliminate Stress
Since adrenal fatigue is a stress-related condition, the first thing to do is to take steps to decrease the stress in your life.
It’s not always possible to eliminate the source of your stress, but it is possible to learn ways to handle it. One way is to take up a meditation practice.
Meditation practice can relax your mind and body completely.
Relaxation meditation is an effective tool to help manage and ease stress. Once you have learned a technique that works for you, you can do it anytime you feel stressed.
Practicing meditation not only reduces stress, it also contributes to better mental and physical health, and eventually to a better quality of life
#2 Get Exercise
It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you get your body moving. Research has found that regular exercise decreases tension, improves sleep and self-esteem and lifts the spirits.
Another thing you can try that brings immediate results is deep-breathing exercises.
Deep-breathing exercises are so effective because to do them requires your full attention, and while that is going on, your mind can’t indulge in any negative thinking. Deep-breathing exercises have an immediate calming effect.
#3 Take A Break From Your Electronic Devices
Our addiction to our electronic devices is also not helping to curb our stress levels. Having our phones, laptops, smartwatches, and tablets constantly within reach is contributing to our stress levels and affecting our sleep negatively.
Experts suggest that we set some time aside when we are not distracted by constant pings and updates which can add to our stress levels. The suggestion is to turn off all electronic devices an hour before bedtime.
#4 Don’t Forget Your Vitamins And Minerals
Those health practitioners who often see patients with adrenal fatigue, prescribe vitamins B5, B6 and B12, vitamin C and magnesium.
However, according to scientific research, these supplements will only have an effect if you have a clinically proven deficiency in these vitamins.
#5 Take Some Herbal Supplements
always consult your doctor before taking any supplements. Many natural healing practitioners who treat patients with adrenal fatigue prescribe herbal supplements, including licorice root, maca root, golden root, and Siberian ginseng.
Even though these natural supplements are not supported by the medical profession, they can be very effective. You will only know if they are effective for you when you try them.
#6 Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is crucial to good health. The cost of many sleepless nights or late nights can be fatal. Too little sleep will make you feel more stressed.
Getting enough sleep is very important for your overall health. Research has shown that the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.
So, if you suffer from adrenal fatigue, take steps to improve your sleep quality and sleep duration.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue In Females?
Adrenal fatigue is a stress-related condition. And men and women react differently to stress, but when prolonged stress results in adrenal fatigue, the symptoms quite similar for men and women.
In women, stress can lead to total exhaustion, weight gain and intense craving for salty and sweet food.
Also, women who suffer from adrenal fatigue can’t deal with anything stressful, even mundane tasks are seen as complicated and too much to deal with.
Everything and anything is experienced as overwhelming.
Men, in addition to the above symptoms, experience a loss in sexual drive, erectile issues and loss of muscle mass.
How To Heal Adrenal Fatigue And Lose Weight
In addition to counseling, medication, supplements and lifestyle changes to ensure less stress, you should consider following an adrenal fatigue diet.
Basically, it boils down to following a balanced diet, based on high protein foods (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, nuts, and beans), whole grains (brown rice, barley, oats, whole-wheat bread, pasta, etc.) and vegetables and fruit.
Download our free Adrenal Fatigue Diet Plan to get you on the way to a healthier, stress-free version of yourself.
At the same time, you should avoid all the usual culprits: sweet fizzy drinks, sugar, coffee, tea, fried and processed food.
Also, it’s a good idea to eat at regular meal times. That helps to regulate your blood sugar so you don’t start craving something to eat between meals.
Conclusion
Although adrenal fatigue is not recognized as a medical condition, many health practitioners have observed it in their clinics and for many people, the symptoms are very real.
Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to overcome the condition by making some lifestyle changes including following a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, taking vitamins and supplements and getting some exercise.