Adrenal Fatigue

What is adrenal fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a "syndrome," that results when the adrenal glands function, but not at their optimal level. This condition is most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, but it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia. As the name suggests, its
paramount symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep. However, it is not a disease or an easily identifiable condition such as diabetes or a growth on the end of your finger. A patient may look and act relatively normal while experiencing adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet they live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or "gray" feelings. People whose
adrenals are fatigued often have to use coffee, colas and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

What causes adrenal fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue results when the adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. The adrenal glands mobilize the body's responses to every kind of stress (whether it's physical, emotional, or psychological) through hormones that regulate energy production and storage, immune function, heart rate, muscle tone, and other processes that enable an individual to cope with the stress. During adrenal fatigue the adrenal glands are still able to function, but suffer from a decreased output that is unable to maintain optimal homeostasis because the production and release of regulatory hormones has been diminished - usually by over-stimulation. Over-stimulation of the adrenals can be caused either by a very intense single stress, or by chronic or repeated stresses that have a cumulative
effect.