Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue occurs when chronic stress overwhelms your  body’s stress response system, causing imbalances in the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis.

When we are exposed to a stressor (this is any perceived threat internal or external) in a short term situation, a signal is sent to our hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is like our body’s control or command center and is in charge of regulating vital functions. When this signal is sent through the sympathetic nervous system to initiate a fight or flight response, that allows us to meet the stressor or threat. It does this by releasing adrenaline into our bloodstream which then signals the pituitary to release ACTH,  which then goes to the adrenals to signal the production of cortisol (this usually takes about 10 minutes for cortisol to be produced).  In the presence of ACTH, DHEA production is downregulated while cortisol begins to shunt blood to our extremities (away from digestion), raises blood sugar and heart rate, and breaks down fat, carbs and protein for energy. During this fight or flight response, cortisol is anti-inflammatory (to hide the effects of all the breakdown to meet the stressor), it also suppresses reproduction function, and  the immune system. Normally the body should be able to adapt quickly after we are away from a stressor, and can go back and forth between sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest). Unfortunately, we live in a society where we are bombarded by stress in many different areas, and the body loses its ability to dynamically adapt. Stressors can be both internal and external, real or perceived, the body responds in a similar manner. External stressors are often easier to identify and can be:

-Physical like trauma from an accident, injury, or even getting into an argument. 

-Chemical/biochemical such as herbicides, pesticides or prescription drugs. 

-Environmental exposure to heavy metals, EMF, and air pollution.

-Functional like lack of exercise, poor posture or sleep deprivation.

Internal stressors are often more hidden and can include

-Mental can be simple things like worry, fear, excitement, bad attitude, and negative perceptions. 

-Emotional/Spiritual such as relationship troubles, or lack of purpose.

-Biochemical like biofilms, parasitic infections, hormonal imbalances, heavy metal toxicity, or yeast overgrowth.

Over time, the constant activation of the stress response can deplete the adrenal glands, which can have a widespread impact on our overall health, often leading to symptoms like digestive issues, weakened immune system, cravings, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating and fatigue to name a few.

OUR APPROACH TO ADDRESSING ADRENAL FATIGUE

While we work on investigating root causes through functional testing (such as gut infections, hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies and other stressors) we utilize short term strategies to help manage symptoms and restore energy.

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