So you’ve been under severe stress for a long period of time. Now you find yourself dealing with symptoms such as extreme fatigue, a craving for salt, and feelings of depression. Chances are you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue.
It sounds scary, but it’s far more common than you realize. In the hustle and bustle of today’s modern world, people are focusing more on energy and climbing up the corporate ladder, than they are on their health. People also take on too much – like the Mom who feels she needs to be a superwoman, even when her body is screaming out for a break.
Your body can only handle so much before it starts to show signs of physical and mental exhaustion. In this article, we’ll delve a little deeper into the causes behind and symptoms of adrenal fatigue, as well as share natural ways you can support your adrenals.
What exactly is adrenal fatigue?
The adrenals are endocrine glands situated above each kidney that produce hormones essential for human life. For example, cortisol, your body’s stress hormone helps the body respond to stress accurately and helps to regulate metabolism; whereas aldosterone is a hormone responsible for regulating blood pressure. It, therefore, makes sense that if your adrenals are overburdened and is not able to produce sufficient amounts of these hormones, you’ll feel stressed and your blood pressure may be low.
However, there are other symptoms of adrenal fatigue and they may include:
- Brain fog (trouble concentrating, feeling spaced out)
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Abdominal pain and upset
- Nausea
- Irritability
These are just a few of the common symptoms. Generally speaking, you may not feel like yourself and thirst for short breaks.
The dangers of chronic high cortisol levels
When your adrenals are not functioning as they should and release high amounts of cortisol on a regular basis, your body will start to suffer. How does adrenal fatigue affect the body?
High cortisol levels weaken the production of brain cells, which can affect the brain’s ability to remember. In the long term, this could lead to more serious mental health issues like depression and Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, chronic stress can impact the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, respectively responsible for learning, memories, and stress control, as well as concentration, decision-making and social interactions.
The adrenal glands work closely with the thyroid gland, an endocrine gland in the neck responsible for secreting three hormones. Elevated cortisol levels can alter the body’s ability to produce two of these hormones, T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine), which are responsible for the body’s temperature, metabolism and heart rate.
Increased cortisol levels can mean increased inflammation. In the short term, this can cause feelings of anxiousness. However, chronic inflammation overtime can result in prolonged illness and stress, and decreased immune function, which can lead to increased risk of infection and disease.
Now you understand – this is why it’s so important to get your cortisol levels and adrenal glands under control.
Overcome adrenal fatigue with natural remedies
Taking time to take care of yourself is so important. Eat a healthy clean diet, exercise regularly, and take extra vitamin C, B vitamins and magnesium. Heal yourself naturally with an elixir of specially formulated herb, vitamins, and minerals.
Our Bounce Back formula is a blend of adaptogenic herbs and nutrients, specially formulated to provide an improved sense of well-being and help improve mental and physical performance after periods of exertion. Consisting of powerful ingredients such as schisandra and ashwagandha, Bounce Back can help to provide the ultimate adrenal support without any side effects.
Alternatively, to help reduce mental fatigue in cases of mental stress and enhance physical capacity, the combination of herbs in our Stress tincture can provide feelings of rejuvenation. This herbal remedy contains Siberian ginseng, rhodiola, ashwagandha and linden, all of which are beneficial in relieving symptoms of stress.
For a homeopathic option, bring down stress levels with Stress + Calm from Orange Naturals. This formula works to promote temporary relief from the stress of daily life, including nervous tension and restlessness.
The adrenal glands are important organs that unfortunately, is often overlooked; however, the functions are critical to living healthy. By listening to your body and identifying the signs and symptoms early on, adrenal fatigue can be managed through diet changes, stress management and other lifestyle factors. Chill-ax, and start feeling like yourself!
