Adrenal Fatigue

adrenal

Adrenal fatigue can come from any form of prolonged stress.

Our body is well equipped to deal with and often benefits from short-term stress. However, our body does not deal well with prolonged stress of any kind, and will often start to break down.
The adrenal glands are part of your endocrine system, and along with the hypothalamus and pituitary, make up the HPA axis. The HPA-axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis) is the main system involved in your body’s stress response. This system is also directly involved in the production and regulation of many other hormones, including hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, mood, repair and regeneration of cells and tissues, and it helps maintain fluid and mineral balance, and glucose control.
The adrenal glands get a lot of attention, because they release the stress hormone cortisol. If you experience prolonged stress, you’re constantly producing cortisol, and this causes your adrenal glands and the entire HPA-axis to become imbalanced. The more imbalanced and less sensitive to feedback control the HPA-axis becomes, the more disruptions you will see in other hormones, and in your daily circadian rhythms. That’s when you’ll start to notice mood swings, and problems with energy and sleep.
Here are some common causes of adrenal fatigue:
All of these things can stress you out and tax your adrenals.
There are many herbs and supplements that can be beneficial for someone trying to heal from adrenal fatigue including adaptogenic herbs like Ashwaganda or Holy Basil. However, experience tells us that every one of you is unique and responds best when we are able to work directly with you, do appropriate testing and figure out a personalized treatment plan that is just right for you.
If reducing stress and healing from adrenal fatigue is your goal, we would love to partner with you! Call 541-447-7230 to schedule an appointment and begin your journey back to health and abundant energy.