Adrenal fatigue is a deficiency in the functioning of the adrenal glands. Our adrenal glands are responsible for secreting important steroid hormones, like cortisol, when we are stressed. With a delicate balance of hormonal connections and signaling, the adrenal gland responds to internal, physical and environmental signals and releases cortisol. However, chronic stress can overstimulate the adrenal gland and decrease its optimal function.

Causes of Adrenal fatigue:

There are many causes of adrenal fatigue, unique to individuals:

• Lifestyle causes: lack of sleep, use of stimulants, constant work,
• Diet: overconsumption of carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates and sugary foods
• Major surgery
• Prolonged infections

Signs and Symptoms include but not limited to Adrenal fatigue are the following:

• Difficulty getting up in the morning
• Trouble falling asleep and or staying asleep
• Waking up feeling unrefreshed
• Craving salt or salty foods
• Decreased sex drive
• Constant fatigue
• Decreased ability to handle stress
• Anxiety and/or depression
• Increased premenstrual syndrome in women
• Need more energy and mental focus to do every day tasks
• Increased time needed to recover from illness, injury or trauma.
• Brain fog and decreased memory

How can naturopathic medicine help:

“Don’t guess, let’s test to address!” – Dr. Swalah, ND

Additional diagnostic testing is a gold standard in addressing adrenal fatigue. The human body is a well-programmed machine with multiple connections and pathways. And the stress hormone, cortisol, impacts nearly every body system and implicates many other hormones, especially the sex hormones. By testing cortisol, especially levels throughout the day and learning how the body metabolizes it, can provide an immense amount of information about the adrenal fatigue and symptom manifestation someone is experiencing. By testing, we are diving deep into understanding what the root cause is and working on it, rather than just alleviating the signs and symptoms.

Treatment:

The goal of therapy is enabling positive lifestyle changes to decrease stress and help manage the stressors that do appear. Diet, lifestyle modification, nutriceuticals, and botanical medicine are other ways to calm, nourish and rebalance the body and it’s response to everyday stressors.

Dr. Swalah, ND believes in working with her patient to make sustainable changes. TO connect with her, clinic here: