Adrenal fatigue is so under-diagnosed that most doctors know nothing about it. The adrenal glands are the most overlooked glands in conventional medicine. They are involved in most functional disorders and play a key role in the most common functional endocrine problems you’ll find. 

Conventional practitioners rarely test the function of the adrenal glands and when they do, the testing is rarely properly done. As I have alluded to earlier, the adrenal glands have many functions. Most importantly, they are the glands that respond to stress in the body and help control our blood sugar levels through the production of cortisol. 

Let’s face it. We are exposed to much more stress today then we were 30 years ago. Work , meetings, social engagements, the kid’s sport schedules, cell phones and e-mail all play a role in the creation of adrenal stress—not to mention that our diet is full of processed, refined carbohydrates, trans fats, chemicals in foods, and toxins. Exposure to these things on a daily basis will inevitably change our normal physiology and place stress on our systems.

What are the symptoms of adrenal problems?
The first thing you want to understand about adrenal fatigue and adrenal function in general is that it never happens in a vacuum. The adrenal gland is tightly connected to many endocrine and non-endocrine systems. The following list shows what symptoms you might have if your cortisol levels were out of balance:

• Fatigue (extremely common) 
• Reactive hypoglycemia (feel shaky between meals) 
• Difficulty getting going in the morning 
• Headache, especially in the afternoon 
• Poor immune function 
• Allergies 
• Stomach ulcers 
• Blurry vision or unstable behavior 
• Sleep disturbances (with high or low cortisol levels) 
• Irritability before meals 
• Fatigue relieved by eating 
• Cravings for sugars, caffeine or cigarettes 
• Feeling bloated or full 

How the adrenal glands react to stress

Recommended Testing

Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) Panel

Copyright 2008 © Dr. Keith Ungar, DC /  The Center for Natural Medicine. All rights reserved. 

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Adrenal Stress Index

 

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What are the risks for Adrenal Fatigue? 

Poor sleep — staying up late and/or getting up too early 
Poor dietary habits — eating processed refined carbohydrates and trans-fats. 
Using a lot of caffeine — especially when you find you need it to keep up with your life 
Feeling constantly powerless — can’t get things done or start things you can’t finish 
Being a perfectionist — stressing your body with the need to have things perfect 
Being in a hopeless situation — in a bad marriage or relationship or if you hate your job 
Being constantly angry — when you can’t find happiness in anything 
Chronic physical pain or illness — especially having pains that migrate throughout your body 

Suffering from Syndrome X? You might suspect that you are in a state of adrenal fatigue if you find yourself having the following symptoms:

• Fatigue upon awakening. 
• Craving salt. 
• Lack of energy. 
• Mild depression. 
• Premenstrual syndrome. 
• Muscle fatigue. 
• Unable to handle stress. 
• No sex drive. 
• Fuzzy thoughts/poor memory. 
• Insomnia. 
• Light-headed when standing up.