Feeling tired is a key symptom of adrenal
exhaustion. Other common indicators of adrenal exhaustion are:
-
you feel tired and unrefreshed after waking in the
morning
-
you find it difficult to get going in the morning
until you have had a cup of coffee
-
you generally feel tired throughout the day
-
you feel tired after exercising
-
you began to feel chronically tired after a
stressful event had occurred
-
you experience chronic allergies, inflammation or
digestive problems
-
you have a high-stress, always on-the-go
lifestyle. You work hard, party hard, stay up late, drink coffee and alcohol,
sometimes burn the candle at both ends, but lately you've found you just can't
do this anymore.
This list contains some of the more common
symptoms associated with adrenal exhaustion.
How does adrenal exhaustion contribute to
chronic tiredness?
Firstly, lets look at the adrenal glands. These
two small glands are located one above each kidney. They consist of two parts:
1. The adrenal cortex - the outer portion of the
gland that secretes three different types of hormones:
-
Aldosterone - controls fluid balance in the body.
-
Cortisol - this hormone helps us cope with
stressful situations. It's excreted during a stressful situation and helps us
to calm down. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect and increases the amount
of energy we have by converting proteins into sugars.
-
Androgens - these hormones give us our masculine
features. Testosterone is the most abundant androgen and males have much
higher levels than females - this is what makes them male. Females who have
higher levels of testosterone will have male-like effects such as acne and
increased body hair.
2. The adrenal medulla - the inner portion of the
gland that secretes the hormones adrenalin and nor-adrenalin. These hormones
help us to do battle when we are faced with a stressful situation.
Just like in diabetes (when the pancreas becomes
exhausted pumping out insulin in response to a high sugar diet) the adrenals
also become exhausted pumping out the stress hormones cortisol and adrenalin
during chronic stressful periods. What does this mean? At the beginning stages
of stress, the adrenal glands pump out more cortisol to keep up with the
demands being placed on your body. At this point you may find yourself feeling
alert and 'on the ball'. However over time the adrenals become exhausted,
causing a decline in the amount of cortisol that they are able to pump out. If
and when you reach this stage of adrenal dysfunction, a number of detrimental
effects may occur including chronic tiredness.
People who have experienced an ongoing stressful
situation - whether it be emotional (divorce, loss of loved one, infertility,
IVF, loss of job) or physical (working hard, studying while working, partying,
drug usage, heavy alcohol intake, smoking, poor diet, viral infections) will
find that over time, their resistance starts to wear down. They don't bounce
back from nights out as easily. Or they can't work the long hours that they
were once able to. We often think that our age is slowing us down. While
partly true, it is also declining adrenal function.
As your adrenal function declines you become more
chronically tired. In particular, you may find it difficult to wake and rise
in the mornings. You also need a coffee before you can function and speak to
people. Paradoxically, you may find that you are wide-awake in the evenings,
even though you have been extremely tired that morning and possibly throughout
the day.
Other symptoms that you may experience include an
increasing sensitivity to foods and environmental agents. This is because
cortisol is also anti-inflammatory and keeps our immune response under
control. As cortisol levels reduce, we become more allergic and you may
develop intolerances to foods that you never had before. In addition you may
start to develop hay fever and sinus.
Now you know a bit more about the adrenal glands
and how they work, as well as the role they may be playing in the tiredness
that you are experiencing.
So what can you do about it?
-
Did you know that there are tests that can show
you how well your adrenal glands are functioning?
-
Did you know that herbal medicine, nutrients and
certain lifestyle practices are the most effective way to restore the adrenal
glands to health?
-
Did you know that many of our common every day
habits and practices further deplete our adrenal glands and rob us of energy?
-
Did you know that there are certain foods that can
restore our adrenal glands and help us regain our energy?
You can find out all about these tests and
remedies as well as a full list of the symptoms linked to adrenal exhaustion
in our e-book Why
Do I Feel Tired?
Written by naturopath/nutritionist Alison Cassar
and professional health writer Michelle Fahy, this e-book examines over 16
conditions (including adrenal exhaustion) that may be contributing to your
tiredness. The book explores each topic in detail and helps you to discover
the underlying causes of your tiredness so you can reclaim your energy and
live the life you were meant to live.
Most people are unaware of how good
they are capable of feeling. There's no need for you to be one of these
people. Find out what may be behind your tiredness and get off the
merry-go-round of chronic tiredness.
Click here
to learn more about this comprehensive e-book and to order your copy.