How To Recognize if You Have Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is a common syndrome caused by chronic stress and affects a large percent of the population at some point in their lives (estimates are up to 80% of Americans), but if it can be recognized, it can also be treated. While adrenal fatigue is not as serious as actual adrenal diseases and full-blown adrenal insufficiency, the symptoms can still be concerning and can also negatively affect a person's quality of life.

If you're feeling rundown and tired and seem to have a reduced tolerance for stress, the following steps can help you recognize if it is adrenal fatigue.

1. Monitor how well you tolerate and spring back from "stressors." While many people believe stress is always a mental side effect from too much negative anguish or mentally struggling with problems, stress is actually anything that places extra demands on the mind or body. Stress can be either positive or negative and still result in taxing both the mind and body by lowering energy reserves. Some people refer to this as being "stressed out" and while most people experience infrequent episodes of being stressed out, if it becomes chronic from being experienced either too often or for extended periods of time, the adrenal glands may begin to diminish in their ability to help the body cope and spring back from stressors. The adrenal glands, two small glands that sit on top of each our two kidneys, give us these stress-coping abilities via the release of a hormone they produce called "cortisol." Many medical sources call cortisol "the stress hormone" but if the adrenal glands are overextended from relentless stress placed upon them over time, the reserves of this hormone can diminish somewhat and this leaves the mind and body less able to cope with stress. This is also why adrenal fatigue is also referred to as "Low Adrenal Reserve" and "Adrenal Exhaustion."
2. Notice your diet habits and whether you have more of a craving for sugary and/or salty foods and stimulants. According to many sources that address adrenal fatigue, when the adrenal glands are working at sub-normal (low) levels, the body may crave more foods containing salt and sugar because these substances will raise blood pressure and energy levels, when the adrenal glands have diminished ability to do so. The body begins to seek ways to replace the missing energy that is usually supplied in more adequate levels by the adrenal glands. Some adrenal fatigue sufferers will also crave other stimulants, such as caffeine, alcohol and tobacco or anything that helps give them a lift in their energy levels. The problem with this scenario is that the extra stimulants will usually only act to stress the adrenals even more and will result in slowed recovery from adrenal fatigue or a worsening of it over time. The stimulants will give the person using them a temporary energy high but will be followed by a crash of more severe fatigue once the effects have worn off. This can create a vicious cycle of highs and lows and can also result in the adrenal fatigue sufferer having more and more dependency on stimulants, to the point that they cannot get going upon waking in the mornings without a stimulant boost nor can they get through the entire day without repeated use of them. If you have low stress tolerance, plus find yourself craving stimulants, including more sugary and salty foods, you may have adrenal fatigue.
3. Watch for physical signs or changes in your body. People suffering adrenal fatigue will find that their bodies react differently to physical exertion. Physical exercise may become more difficult for them and they may find they do not tolerate it as well and may also take longer to recover from even mild to moderate physical exertion. Some adrenal fatigue sufferers will also experience mild joint and muscle pain and a vague feeling of being ill or just not feeling well. They may also experience a condition known as "Orthostatic Hypotension," which is a slightly diminished ability by the adrenal glands to help regulate blood pressure upon standing up from a sitting or lying-down (supine) position. This condition results in blood pressure not rising as much as it normally should upon standing (in order to move the blood upward to the heart and brain). Because of this, the person will feel dizzy for a few seconds or even faint upon standing, as if they could possibly black out. They might also feel a pressure-type sensation in their head and neck area during an episode of Orthostatic Hypotension, which is really a lack of blood pressure but gives the sensation that there is extra pressure for a few seconds. Some adrenal fatigue patients have also reported that they have increased sensitivity to bright light and loud sounds and can become more irritable or jumpy in the presence of these or other physical stimuli. A combination of low stress tolerance, craving stimulants and having diminished ability to handle physical activity or stimuli, can all point to the possibility of a person having adrenal fatigue.
4. Get your adrenal hormone levels tested. This particular step of the four is the single most important one in determining whether a person has adrenal fatigue, in my opinion. I say this because though it takes physical symptoms such as the ones I have already described before a person will even want to investigate what could be wrong with them, getting your adrenal hormone levels tested is the single best indicator for adrenal fatigue and may also serve to rule the condition out. The two hormones most commonly tested to determine a person's adrenal function are "cortisol and DHEA." These two hormones are the best indicators of how well the adrenal glands are functioning. Fortunately, there are now inexpensive home "saliva tests" available to test these hormones and they are available online through a number of companies and are also carried by many pharmacies nationwide. Saliva testing of adrenal hormones is recognized as being as reliable and accurate as blood testing by medical research groups, including the National Institutes of Health and National Library of Medicine (PubMed). If adrenal hormones are found to be low in range (normal values-reference range) or even fall slightly below the normal range, this is a more definite sign of adrenal fatigue. A result that is actually flagged low should be shown to a doctor.

Certainly, if a person suspects he has other conditions or a more serious condition than adrenal fatigue, including possible adrenal disease, which is more serious, he should see his doctor about getting tested and diagnosed, so that he can be treated for the condition. Unfortunately, many doctors recognize adrenal fatigue, while many others do not. There are some doctors who feel that an adrenal disorder must be severe enough to require a prescription treatment in order to be recognized.

Adrenal fatigue is very real and the symptoms it causes can be significant to those who suffer from it. There are over-the-counter supplements and lifestyle changes that can reduce and even eliminate the symptoms of this concerning syndrome. Look for the next article on this subject--How To Treat Adrenal Fatigue--if you recognize from the four steps we have just discussed that you might have adrenal fatigue or know someone else who may have it.