Adrenal fatigue is a serious epidemic affecting many. Whilst not yet seriously recognised by the medical profession, every day I see more and more people suffering the affects of adrenal dysfunction, and believe me, their symptoms are real.
The fact is most of us experience stress in our every day living, and feeling tired almost seems ‘normal’. Our busy, fast paced, modern world places us under continual, constant stress like never before. This gradual, consistent pressure has a cumulative effect that over time wears down the adrenal glands, depleting energy, making people feel tired all the time or just plain exhausted.
Symptoms and the level of adrenal “burn out” vary for each person, made worse by poor dietary choices, no exercise or relaxation, lack of sleep, alcohol, smoking, physical illness, trauma, emotional and financial stress.
To overcome tiredness people start relying on stimulants like coffee, energy drinks or sugary, carbohydrate heavy processed foods, to get going in the morning and keep going for the rest of the day. Unfortunately both stimulants and sugar significantly deplete the adrenal glands further, plus stimulants can interfere with sleep further worsening the situation.
You can still look and act relatively normal whilst actually having adrenal fatigue. There may be no obvious signs of physical illness; instead just a feeling of being unwell, rundown, flat, irritable and tiredness not relieved by sleep.
If you find yourself constantly fatigued, struggling to get out of bed in the mornings, have difficulty falling asleep even though you’re exhausted and unable to cope with stressful situations then you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue.
It’s essential that you determine whether it really is adrenal fatigue and at what stage of dysfunction your adrenals are operating.
Besides adrenal dysfunction, there are many health issues, some very serious, that can cause fatigue. Other causes of fatigue include; hormonal imbalances, thyroid disorders, nutrient deficiencies, depression, mental illness, heavy metal toxicity, digestive disorders, chronic infections and auto-immune disorders. Often these health issues also adversely impact the adrenal glands. But sometimes it’s the adrenal fatigue driving thyroid, hormonal, digestive and mental health issues.
So it’s vitally important to work with a qualified health practitioner who can diagnose you correctly, identify the underlying cause(s) of your fatigue to design a treatment program that effectively restores your energy and wellbeing.
Next week you will learn how to tell if you have adrenal fatigue or are just really tired.