The internet is a fantastic place where you can find out virtually any piece of information you need to know. In fact it is difficult to ascertain the size of the web and the knowledge it contains!
This can actually make it more difficult to access the information you need! You’ll know the issue. You feel a little under the weather so you type your symptoms into the web and suddenly you have every illness known to exist!
This is why it is important to be able to access the specific facts regarding adrenal fatigue; you can tell for certain if this is an issue that affects you. Of course you should visit your medical professional to confirm the diagnosis.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
Your adrenal glands are located just above your kidneys and they release adrenal hormones into your body; when the brain tells them to.
The main adrenal hormone is cortisol. This is the stress hormone. It is released every time you are in a stressful situation.
In the past this allowed your body to prepare to fight or run away, a survival technique. Unfortunately, your body is unable to tell the difference between life and death scenarios and a stressful meeting.
This means that your body is often swamped with cortisol which actually blocks other processes from working properly.
Adrenal Fatigue is when your body is no longer able to keep up with the production of adrenal hormones. In effect the adrenal glands have been burnt out.
The Symptoms
When your adrenal glands start to burn out there are a number of symptoms:
- Struggling To Get Up In The Morning
It doesn’t matter if you have slept really well for a long time; you’ll wake up feeling foggy and tired. This can be because your cortisol level is low, reducing your blood sugar and depriving you of energy.
- Fatigue Throughout The Day
The depletion of your adrenal glands means that you are low on cortisol and blood sugar throughout the day. This translates as tiredness. You may also experience headaches as you attempt to concentrate.
- Reliance on Caffeine
The tiredness you feel throughout the day will start to show as a dependence on caffeine or other, similar substances.
- Craving Salty Food
Your adrenal glands produce a substance called mineralocorticoid which helps to regulate fluid excretion. When your adrenal glands are not working properly then you’ll urinate more often and remove important nutrients from your body; such as potassium and magnesium.
The result is your body will crave salty foods to replenish these minerals.
- Energy Boost In The Evening
Instead of your body slowly winding down you’ll suddenly feel a boost of energy in the evening. This is because your cortisol levels are fluctuating wildly.
- Poor Immune System
Cortisol does not just deal with stress. It also helps to prevent inflammation in your body. When your adrenals are depleted you won’t have this safeguard and you are likely to be ill more frequently.
You’ll especially notice an increase in respiratory issues.
- Unable To Deal With Stress
Once you’ve depleted your adrenal glands you won’t have any cortisol being produced to help you deal with stressful situations.
Without cortisol you are likely to feel unable to deal with the issue and either ignore it, suffer from anxiety or become extremely irritable.
Fortunately you can get help with adrenal fatigue. While there are some natural remedies, it is important to speak to a medical professional.
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