Do you feel tired all the time? You attempt to sleep more, but it doesn’t help the fatigue. One of the largest misconceptions of conventional medicine is that if your labs are normal, your fatigue is in your head. However, adrenal fatigue is one of the most talked-about subjects in functional medicine today.
Adrenal Fatigue affects women much more than men. It has been confirmed in research published in PubMed that the HPA axis is more activated in females than in males. It means women’s stress response systems are inherently more reactive and more vulnerable to the effects of chronic stress.
Men experience adrenal fatigue differently. In men, chronic stress gradually decreases testosterone levels, causing a decline in energy.
So, what is adrenal fatigue, and how to understand adrenal fatigue symptoms?
What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
There are two small glands on top of the kidneys called the adrenal glands. They are primarily responsible for making the cortisol hormone. Your most important stress hormone is cortisol.
Adrenal fatigue is a term used to describe when your adrenal glands get overstimulated by stress. When you are constantly stressed, the adrenal glands have to produce cortisol all the time, whether it is because of work, lack of sleep, your diet, or emotional trauma.
The adrenal glands make over 50 hormones. Your adrenal glands make cortisol and DHEA, as well as adrenaline, aldosterone, and precursors to the hormones of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These glands are the first to react to stress and the first to be damaged by chronic and persistent stress.
A healthy adrenal system means that cortisol has a natural cycle each day.
It is at its highest in the morning, giving you the energy and alertness to begin the day. It slowly diminishes during the afternoon and evening hours, helping you to relax and fall asleep.
Top Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms
When cortisol levels are not balanced, it will impact your body as a whole. These are the particular signs to determine if your adrenals are in trouble:
Morning Exhaustion
A healthy body will have the highest level of cortisol at the time when you wake up. When you suffer from adrenal fatigue, you have low levels of cortisol in the morning. So, even if you sleep late, it is hard to get out of bed.
Craving for salt and sugar
Your adrenal glands also make an aldosterone hormone, which is responsible for balancing your body’s minerals and fluids. If your adrenals are fatigued, sodium can be rapidly depleted.
This means you may end up wanting salty treats, such as potato chips, or grabbing sugary snacks to power up quickly.
Poor Stress Response
If your adrenal glands are healthy, you deal with stress and bounce back from it. With adrenal fatigue, the body’s tolerance for stress has declined significantly.
You are easily provoked by small irritations. This is because if you are stressed, your adrenal glands don’t have enough reserves to respond in an appropriate manner.
Afternoon Energy Crash
One of the more well-known signs of adrenal fatigue is a sudden drop in afternoon energy. You feel an overwhelming need to sleep.
Brain Fog and Poor Concentration
Cortisol is crucial for cognitive functioning. If your cortisol is out of rhythm, your brain is not getting the hormonal fuel that it requires for good thinking. You find it hard to concentrate, forget words mid-sentence, feel slower, and are unable to process information that was once easy.
Trouble Falling Asleep
This is a bit unusual, but very common. Your brain doesn’t turn off at night, even though you’re tired all day. This is because your cortisol is disrupted. You won’t be able to sleep because your cortisol level is too low in the day and too high at night when it shouldn’t be.
Low Blood Pressure
Standing up too quickly and feeling lightheaded or dizzy is called orthostatic hypotension. It’s a typical symptom of adrenal fatigue. Your adrenal glands are the source of aldosterone, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure by controlling sodium and water levels.
If aldosterone levels are not adequate, blood pressure is low all the time. And this may lead to dizziness or temporary fainting.
Weakened Immune System
Cortisol is a key hormone that helps control the immune system. When cortisol rhythm is disrupted, immune regulation suffers. People with adrenal fatigue get sick more often, take longer to recover, and are more susceptible to recurring infections.
Low Libido
The effects of adrenal fatigue on libido are different in men and women. The adrenal glands are one of the major producers of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in women. All three decrease when they are exhausted.
Adrenal dysfunction in men has an effect on the DHEA and precursor hormones that aid testosterone, thus a lot of guys experience a lower libido even though the primary test for testosterone is normal.
Getting to the root of ongoing fatigue takes the right approach. Our Functional Care team can help you build a plan based on what your body needs.
How to Heal Adrenal Fatigue
It is not possible to catch up on HPA axis dysfunction. The stressors need to be eliminated, and targeted nutrients need to be used to restore the communication loop. Here are some of the things you should do:
1. Delay Morning Caffeine
When you drink coffee right after you get up, you are forcing your adrenals to release cortisol when they’re already in a struggle.
According to research in neurobiology, you can reduce the afternoon crash by waiting about 90 to 120 minutes after waking to drink caffeine.
2. Stabilize Blood Sugar
Cortisol is released due to blood sugar crashes, which is a huge stressor. Endocrinology data reveal that a high-carbohydrate breakfast results in a fast blood sugar rise and subsequent fall, increasing cortisol as much as 20%.
Eat a high-protein, high-fat breakfast within 1 hour of waking to keep your blood sugar even and avoid a second dip in cortisol.
3. Use Light to Reset the Morning Signal
Your brain uses light to set your circadian rhythm. It’s advisable to get outside and let your eyes light up from the sun for 10 minutes in the first hour after waking up.
Researchers report that this naturally activates a healthy Cortisol Awakening Response and sets up your brain to release melatonin 14 hrs later.
4. Add Some Nutritional Support
Your adrenal glands use certain nutrients to produce cortisol. These should be taken with evidence-based supplements:
- Phosphatidylserine: Clinical studies indicate that 400mg of this phospholipid will dramatically dampen down the cortisol surge that occurs after physical or mental stress.
- Ashwagandha: Research indicates that ashwagandha is capable of reducing cortisol by as much as 30% in chronically stressed individuals, as it helps to regulate the HPA axis, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C is stored in your adrenal glands in the greatest amount in your body. It is actively depleted by cortisol production, and it is essential to be replenished on a daily basis for adrenal function.
Bottom Line
Adrenal fatigue is a condition that occurs when the body’s stress management system is exhausted. It can only be reversed by a specific and thorough strategy.
If you are having these symptoms of adrenal fatigue and tests are normal, functional medicine can serve as the framework and tools that conventional medicine has left behind.
At Kairos Health and Wellness in Texas, Lola, one of our functional nurse practitioners, focuses on uncovering the underlying causes of adrenal fatigue and create a tailored, evidence-based recovery program for you.
If you live in Houston or throughout Texas or experiencing adrenal fatigue symptoms, including hormonal imbalances, book an appointment with us today.