Your adrenal glands are each no bigger than a walnut and weigh less than a grape, yet are responsible for one of the most important functions in your body: managing your stress, both physical stress and emotional stress.
The adrenals are the body’s hormonal powerhouse. Two little glands that sit on top of your kidneys, they’re the linchpin of a feedback loop coordinating nearly every hormone in your body.
When your adrenal glands are overtaxed, a condition known as adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion sets in, which in turn can set a cascade of disease processes into motion. One tell-tale sign of adrenal burnout is feeling chronically fatigued. Another symptom that someone might experience it’s what called “tired but wired”, which means that even if you feel physically tired, you cannot fall asleep and you cannot function normal and have the undefined feeling that something is wrong.
It’s estimated that up to 80 percent of adults experience adrenal fatigue during their lifetimes, yet it remains one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses in Canada.
The basis of adrenal fatigue or burnout is stress (or more correctly distress), which over time can tax your adrenal glands to the point of causing other health problems, such as:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Sleep disorders
- Depression
The precipitating event for most people is a period of intense emotional stress. Based on my experience, approximately 95 percent of the patients report having experienced major emotional stress (life changing events) around the time their health began to falter.
There are three stages of adrenal fatigue. Each one is associated with a different type of cortisol imbalance, and typically people progress from stage 1 to stage 3 sequentially over time.
Stage 1: Wired and tired
This stage is characterized by high cortisol levels, especially at night, leading to insomnia, insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain. People often feel energized but in an edgy “wired” way.
Stage 2: Stressed and tired
In this stage, many people wake up early in the morning (often around 3am) and are unable to fall back asleep. Later in the day some stressor kicks in, and they feel more awake. Their cortisol peaks early, flattens out, but often has midday or early evening rise.
Stage 3: Burnout
This stage is characterized by exhaustion regardless of hours slept, a flat cortisol curve, and in some cases low DHEA and thyroid hormone levels.
For this condition our clinic will test your adrenal glands to better understand if this the cause of your problems. It will be followed by a Treatment Plan that will involve some adaptogenic plants, a B complex supplement, an adrenal nutraceutical formula, a change in diet to cool the inflammation (a test to identify the foods you are sensitive too will also be suggested) and better hydration and rest.