Adrenal fatigue
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What are the adrenal glands?
The adrenals are two glands which are attached to the top of the kidneys and they are made up of two parts - the adrenal cortex which is the outer part and the adrenal medulla which is the inner region. The adrenal glands are triangular shaped and they measure 1.5 inches in height and 3 inches in length. What role do the adrenal glands play in the body? The adrenal glands are responsible for many different functions and processes such as: |
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- Allergic and immune reactions
- Production of many hormones which regulate the endocrine system
- Production of adrenaline to cope with stress
- Production of male and female hormones
- Production of cortisol which regulates sodium and fluid balance
- Production of DHEA which influences stamina and libido
- Production of epinephrine and norepinephrine in stress situations
- Production of steroid hormones
- Regulation of mineral metabolism (sodium, potassium, chloride)
- Regulation of water balance
- Utilisation of carbohydrates, protein and fat
The adrenal glands response to stress and the 'flight or fight' reaction
In times of stress, the adrenal glands assist the body to be able to cope with the stressful situation so that it can perform to its best ability. When stress occurs the brain recognises the stressor and switches on its autonomic nervous system and neurobiological processes so that the individual can respond accordingly, the adrenals then release cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. The body is sent into hyper-alertness with adrenaline which increases heart rate, blood glucose, blood pressure and breathing rate. This process is known as the ‘flight or fight’ response which is essential and normal in times of stress.
Early humans needed this ‘flight or fight’ response to evade deadly predators and go on dangerous hunts for food, modern-day humans experience this response on a daily basis because we lead more fast-paced and complex lives. Not only do we have to think about food, shelter and water but we need to consciously think about money, work pressures, relationships, bills, tight time schedules, providing for our children and general stressors.
What is adrenal fatigue?
If the ‘fight or flight’ response is repeated frequently, the adrenals become fatigued impairing their function causing a wide range of mental and physical health symptoms. Stress has occurred so much that the adrenals lose the ability to recover and rest. Adrenal fatigue is not usually recognised as a medical health problem; there are however diseases and disorders involving the adrenals which are acknowledged such as Cushing's syndrome/disease, Addison's disease and adrenal gland tumours.
Adrenal fatigue is usually a gradual process in which repetitive stress gradually puts more and more strain on the adrenals and not allowing them to recover properly; this is the most common adrenal stress pattern. Another adrenal stress pattern is a single major stressful event; these are things like a life-threatening situation or physical crisis such as surgery which burn the adrenal glands out but lose the ability to recover because of further stress and strain.
Adrenal fatigue is a big problem; there are a lot of people who are experiencing this issue or who will experience this problem at least once in their lives, many people do not realise that they have some degree of adrenal insufficiency.
What are the causes and influences of adrenal fatigue?
Humans are only capable of taking so much stress, eventually the body will reach a peak where the system is unable to cope. Repetitive stress and repetitive strain of the adrenals glands is like using money constantly out of your savings, eventually you will be in debt affecting how you survive and thrive. Adrenal fatigue can really affect people's lives causing them to lose their jobs, lose relationships and do things out of character.
People are more prone to adrenal fatigue if they work in stressful and high pressured environments which involve meeting important deadlines, tasks with high amounts of responsibility, fast-paced work and working within tight time schedules to produce results.
All jobs have some degree of stress involved, but there are certain industries where individuals are more susceptible to adrenal stress patterns and 'flight or fight' releases, adrenal fatigue can also be influenced by other reasons outside of the workplace.
Below is a list of the causes and influences of adrenal fatigue:
If the ‘fight or flight’ response is repeated frequently, the adrenals become fatigued impairing their function causing a wide range of mental and physical health symptoms. Stress has occurred so much that the adrenals lose the ability to recover and rest. Adrenal fatigue is not usually recognised as a medical health problem; there are however diseases and disorders involving the adrenals which are acknowledged such as Cushing's syndrome/disease, Addison's disease and adrenal gland tumours.
Adrenal fatigue is usually a gradual process in which repetitive stress gradually puts more and more strain on the adrenals and not allowing them to recover properly; this is the most common adrenal stress pattern. Another adrenal stress pattern is a single major stressful event; these are things like a life-threatening situation or physical crisis such as surgery which burn the adrenal glands out but lose the ability to recover because of further stress and strain.
Adrenal fatigue is a big problem; there are a lot of people who are experiencing this issue or who will experience this problem at least once in their lives, many people do not realise that they have some degree of adrenal insufficiency.
What are the causes and influences of adrenal fatigue?
Humans are only capable of taking so much stress, eventually the body will reach a peak where the system is unable to cope. Repetitive stress and repetitive strain of the adrenals glands is like using money constantly out of your savings, eventually you will be in debt affecting how you survive and thrive. Adrenal fatigue can really affect people's lives causing them to lose their jobs, lose relationships and do things out of character.
People are more prone to adrenal fatigue if they work in stressful and high pressured environments which involve meeting important deadlines, tasks with high amounts of responsibility, fast-paced work and working within tight time schedules to produce results.
All jobs have some degree of stress involved, but there are certain industries where individuals are more susceptible to adrenal stress patterns and 'flight or fight' releases, adrenal fatigue can also be influenced by other reasons outside of the workplace.
Below is a list of the causes and influences of adrenal fatigue:
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Adrenal gland diseases/syndromes
- Allergies
- Bad dieting - refined foods, junk food
- Chronic infections
- Copper excess
- Death of a loved one
- Dangerous and hostile situations
- Diseases
- Emotional stress
- Fears
- Gut and gastrointestinal health issues – bacterial issues (pathogenic and dysbiosis of friendly bacteria), yeast problems (candida overgrowth etc), mould issues, leaky gut syndrome, SIBO, parasites and Helicobacter pylori
- Lack of sleep
- Lack of exercise or excessive exercise (overtraining)
- Lack of relaxation
- Lyme disease
- Mental health disorders
- Mental and physical exertion
- Mineral imbalances
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Organ dysfunction
- Physical trauma
- Prescription drugs
- Repetitive stress
- Relationship issues
- Repetitive 'flight or fight' release
- Surgery
- Stressful jobs
- Stimulants - caffeine, recreational drugs
- Supplement misuse/toxicity
- Toxins
- Toxic metals
Adrenal exhaustion phase and adrenal stress peak
The adrenal glands can enter an exhaustion phase if there has been so much stress on the body that the adrenals can no longer stay in the resistance phase and have the opportunity to recover. In this phase, an individual can become weak and the symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are more prominent. It is likely that an individual can be sick off work for a number of days and struggle to carry out daily activities and be housebound. People can enter the exhaustion phase several times in their lives then recover into a less fatigued state but then enter an exhausting phase again once there is a great amount of stress on the body, it can become a vicious cycle.
The stress on the adrenals can become so great that they peak and an individual can become emotionally unstable causing a breakdown. Anxiety, panic and an uncontrollable breathing rate are also highly likely and someone may feel as they are going to collapse or faint. Although this may seem like an abnormal reaction, this is a normal response because the human body is not designed for relentless stress on an already fatigued system.
The stress on the adrenals can become so great that they peak and an individual can become emotionally unstable causing a breakdown. Anxiety, panic and an uncontrollable breathing rate are also highly likely and someone may feel as they are going to collapse or faint. Although this may seem like an abnormal reaction, this is a normal response because the human body is not designed for relentless stress on an already fatigued system.
Adrenal fatigue and toxic/heavy metals
There is a strong association between adrenal fatigue and heavy metals such as copper. The copper build-up problem is linked with the adrenal glands because they are needed to work with the liver to produce ceruloplasmin and metallothionein which are important copper-binding proteins (for more information on copper toxicity please click here). If low amounts of these proteins are produced then it will result in excessive and unbound copper contributing to copper toxicity.
A good adrenal function is needed to excrete general toxic metals such as mercury and aluminium; toxic metals are commonly found in the environment and certain food and drink sources. Adrenal fatigue contributes to copper/toxic metal build-up and high copper levels and toxic metals contribute to adrenal insufficiency, it can become a vicious cycle.
A good adrenal function is needed to excrete general toxic metals such as mercury and aluminium; toxic metals are commonly found in the environment and certain food and drink sources. Adrenal fatigue contributes to copper/toxic metal build-up and high copper levels and toxic metals contribute to adrenal insufficiency, it can become a vicious cycle.
Adrenal fatigue and cortisol
Cortisol is a life-sustaining adrenal hormone which is known as the stress hormone. Cortisol influences and regulates/modulates many of the changes that happen when the body is responding to stress. The balance of cortisol in our system is important for our overall health. Cortisol levels are high in the morning and this is known as the cortisol awakening response, as the day progresses the body's cortisol levels gradually decline in a normal fashion and end up being at their lowest in the late evening. With adrenal fatigue, the cortisol cycle is disrupted and levels can be low throughout the day especially early morning and can peak in the late evening keeping someone stimulated and awake at night time.
Adrenal stress initially creates high levels of circulating cortisol and a greater need for cortisol production, but this can then result in a drain in cortisol levels, if the adrenals are weak then they cannot produce necessary cortisol for the body. Imbalanced cortisol levels/cycles can have a big effect on mental and physical health, cortisol levels/cycles can be brought back into balance if the adrenal glands are healed and restored.
Testing for adrenal fatigue
A hair mineral test will be able to detect certain mineral levels and ratio readings that indicate reduced adrenal activity and function. The more extreme the markers and readings the more advanced the level of insufficiency. The hair mineral test is a reliable way of testing for adrenal fatigue because the test is measuring mineral levels contained in hair which indicates the storage levels in body tissue because hair works as a soft tissue biopsy. The hair mineral test can also detect 8 different toxic metals which exist in the environment and certain food and drink sources. Toxic metal accumulation is the majority of the time associated with adrenal insufficiency.
Testing for adrenal fatigue and exhaustion can also be done via a 24-hour cortisol/DHEA test in which four saliva samples are collected at different points of the day. The samples need to be collected in the morning, noon, evening and at night and it can be done at home or on the move. The test is measuring your cortisol and DHEA output and indicating how well your adrenals are functioning and their response to stress
For more information on adrenal function testing please click here for the available tests page.
Cortisol is a life-sustaining adrenal hormone which is known as the stress hormone. Cortisol influences and regulates/modulates many of the changes that happen when the body is responding to stress. The balance of cortisol in our system is important for our overall health. Cortisol levels are high in the morning and this is known as the cortisol awakening response, as the day progresses the body's cortisol levels gradually decline in a normal fashion and end up being at their lowest in the late evening. With adrenal fatigue, the cortisol cycle is disrupted and levels can be low throughout the day especially early morning and can peak in the late evening keeping someone stimulated and awake at night time.
Adrenal stress initially creates high levels of circulating cortisol and a greater need for cortisol production, but this can then result in a drain in cortisol levels, if the adrenals are weak then they cannot produce necessary cortisol for the body. Imbalanced cortisol levels/cycles can have a big effect on mental and physical health, cortisol levels/cycles can be brought back into balance if the adrenal glands are healed and restored.
Testing for adrenal fatigue
A hair mineral test will be able to detect certain mineral levels and ratio readings that indicate reduced adrenal activity and function. The more extreme the markers and readings the more advanced the level of insufficiency. The hair mineral test is a reliable way of testing for adrenal fatigue because the test is measuring mineral levels contained in hair which indicates the storage levels in body tissue because hair works as a soft tissue biopsy. The hair mineral test can also detect 8 different toxic metals which exist in the environment and certain food and drink sources. Toxic metal accumulation is the majority of the time associated with adrenal insufficiency.
Testing for adrenal fatigue and exhaustion can also be done via a 24-hour cortisol/DHEA test in which four saliva samples are collected at different points of the day. The samples need to be collected in the morning, noon, evening and at night and it can be done at home or on the move. The test is measuring your cortisol and DHEA output and indicating how well your adrenals are functioning and their response to stress
For more information on adrenal function testing please click here for the available tests page.
Adrenal fatigue treatment
Treatment for adrenal fatigue involves lifestyle changes, dietary changes, stress avoidance and coping methods and supplement use. A big focus is also on the elimination of any toxic metals and excess copper. If you undergo testing for adrenal fatigue and you test positive then you will receive the treatment programme in the results email. If you have any questions about your results, then mindovermetal will answer them for you.
Treatment for adrenal fatigue involves lifestyle changes, dietary changes, stress avoidance and coping methods and supplement use. A big focus is also on the elimination of any toxic metals and excess copper. If you undergo testing for adrenal fatigue and you test positive then you will receive the treatment programme in the results email. If you have any questions about your results, then mindovermetal will answer them for you.
