Are you finding it hard to fall asleep at night because your mind is racing? Do you dread getting out of bed in the morning? Do you wake up constantly throughout the night? Is your energy dropping in the afternoon or are you just plain exhausted? Are things or people irritating you more that usual and you can’t keep your cool? Are you having issues losing weight or have you plateaued? These are just a few indicators that your adrenals are tired and need some care.
Our Adrenal glands don’t get enough attention in the medical world but are gaining more and more interest. The truth is they are in charge of important physiological functions in our bodies. They are a part of our endocrine system, and by endocrine system I mean HORMONES. Most people think of sex hormones when they hear the word ‘hormones’, but there are many other’s that also play a key roll in our everyday well-being. For example; Cortisol is produced and secreted by our adrenal glands and is released as a response to stress. Cortisol also controls our circadian rhythm, AKA our wake-sleep cycle. Everyone is always talking about the amount of inflammation going on in our bodies and how it’s the foundation for the creation of disease, well guess what controls inflammation…CORTISOL!
It’s scary because we are seeing a huge increase in the incidence of autoimmune conditions and this stems from inflammation altering our immune reaction. Adrenal fatigue can result in catching the cold/flu easily as well as developing allergies and sensitivities to the environment and food.
There are diagnostic tests to find out if you have adrenal fatigue, but a lot of the time a good health history can determine it on it’s own. Treatment can also depend on your lifestyle and symptoms since the adrenals are intricately related to our other endocrine organs, MAINLY the Thyroid! Hope you enjoyed this post and go see your local Naturopathic Doctor if you are wondering about adrenal fatigue affecting your health.
All the best in life and health 🙂
Dr. Heather Iverson, ND
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