Juggling work and family life is no small feat. It’s easy to excuse your stress as a product of the grind of daily life. However, what you think is normal fatigue may be symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
Your health is like a seesaw. When everything is in perfect balance, the seesaw is level, but any slight difference in weight can tip it one way or the other. As those weights build up throughout your life, the seesaw tilts more and more out of balance.
Over time, you can develop adrenal fatigue, also referred to as adrenal burnout or HPA-Axis Dysfunction.
What is Adrenal Fatigue (HPA-Axis Dysfunction)
Adrenal fatigue is a term used in functional medicine to describe symptoms, including fatigue, body aches, and digestive problems. It refers to the condition called HPA-axis dysfunction. The HPA axis is the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal network, which manages stress, energy, and immune responses.
Adrenal fatigue develops due to a prolonged stress response, also known as chronic stress.
However, the adrenal gland is not the only culprit in the development of adrenal fatigue. To better understand this, we can examine the body’s stress response.
The Stress Response
When you read about adrenal fatigue, the first thing you’ll likely learn is that your symptoms of adrenal fatigue are due to the release of cortisol by the adrenal glands. Yes, cortisol is produced and released by the adrenal glands. However, that is the last step in the process. A tiny gland in your brain called the hypothalamus initiates the creation of cortisol.
The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Your stress response system begins with this first step. Your hypothalamus influences the pituitary gland and can affect many other hormonal reactions.
The pituitary gland is the master gland because it controls the hormone production of most other hormone-secreting glands. For example, when you feel stressed, the pituitary gland stimulates the adrenal glands with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH tells the adrenal glands to start producing cortisol.
The adrenal glands sit atop your kidneys and produce many important hormones. They make small amounts of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in men and women. More importantly, they produce adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol stress hormones.
Chronic Stress and Cortisol
Cortisol is beneficial for the body in normal amounts. It provides energy, increases blood sugar, suppresses the immune system, and breaks down protein and carbohydrates. However, research shows prolonged chronic stress reduces the body’s sensitivity to cortisol.
The result is chronic fatigue and a dysfunctional immune system – A.K.A. less than optimal health.
Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue or Adrenal Burnout
Although adrenal fatigue or burnout symptoms vary from person to person, here is a list of what you typically experience.
Adrenal fatigue doesn’t happen all of a sudden. There are three stages of adrenal fatigue.
Stage 1 – In the first stage of adrenal fatigue, one or more cortisol measurements are out of balance. Symptoms often include tiredness, anxiety, and brain fog. You may also notice that you have gained a few pounds.
Stage 2 – In this stage, two or more cortisol measurements are out of balance. Your cortisol levels might be very high upon waking and extremely low in the afternoon. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue at this stage include anxiety, fatigue, continued weight gain, and irritability. You may also experience an energy crash during the day and need an afternoon “pick-me-up” like caffeine or sugar to make it through.
Stage 3 – This is the most severe stage; all your cortisol measurements will be low. You will most likely be feeling awful at this point. Symptoms at this stage include low energy, sleep that doesn’t make you feel rested, moodiness, irritability, depression, heavy brain fog, and poor concentration. You will likely feel like you need to stay in bed all day.
Causes of Adrenal Fatigue
The primary cause of adrenal fatigue is stress. Emotional stress is the most common culprit, but other stressors can also result in HPA-axis dysfunction. Excessive exercise, inadequate nutrition, use of stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine, poor sleep habits, use of certain medications, and other lifestyle habits may also contribute to the development of adrenal fatigue.
Other factors that can also contribute to the development of adrenal fatigue include gut dysbiosis, thyroid disorder, mood disorders, and autoimmune disease.
How to Treat Adrenal Fatigue
Researchers have linked HPA-axis dysfunction to a variety of other conditions, such as depression, low libido in women, and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also correlated to obesity and heart disease. Moreover, research demonstrates a link between HPA-axis dysfunction and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Despite the research, conventional medicine does not diagnose adrenal fatigue. To treat it, you must see an integrative practitioner. Testing for adrenal fatigue (HPA-axis dysfunction) involves collecting saliva samples four times over 24 hours.
There is no quick fix for adrenal fatigue, and it is not treatable through pharmaceuticals or procedures. Additionally, while adaptogenic supplements can support your adrenal system and help your body cope with stress, your long-term plan must reduce your stress level and improve your responses. Treating adrenal fatigue requires lifestyle changes.
Treatment plans differ for each individual; however, every plan will involve various lifestyle interventions, such as nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress management, and nutraceuticals, such as clinical-grade herbs and supplements, to help support the body in healing.
Our team of integrative practitioners can help you connect the dots between your symptoms of adrenal fatigue and find the healing you need and deserve.
Rose Wellness offers Holistic, Integrative and Functional Medicine services for treating chronic issues as well as for preventive care. Join us and take control of your health, your most important asset.
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