How Modern Lifestyles are Leading to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome
Due to today’s high stress and fast-paced daily environments, Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome has become prevalent. The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and are about the size of a walnut. Their main function is to help the body deal with stress, so when a person is stressed constantly, they can cause their adrenal glands to wear down. The adrenal glands affect every tissue, organ, and call and they influence thoughts and emotions. In order to help the body deal with stress, they secrete hormones.
How Today’s Lifestyles are Affecting the Adrenal Glands
In today’s world, it is rare to find someone who is not stressed almost every day. Work, the news, current events, exhaustion, etc. all cause stress even if it is just a little. Each day, small stressors begin to wear on the adrenal glands. When adrenal glands do not have time to recover, and a traumatic event occurs, the adrenals have a higher chance of not functioning at optimum levels. Physical, emotional, and mental stress all seem the same to the adrenal glands and respond to each type of stress equally.
When you think about how much goes on in your life, you may realize how much stress you actually have on a day to day basis. Most days may look like this: getting up very early for your job even though you stayed up late the night before to finish work. If you have children, getting them up, fed, and to school. Then, at work dealing with stress that accompanies being around other coworkers and tasks. Later, coming home and having to make dinner and do other chores or errands. Next thing you know it is late and it is time to go to sleep and do it all over again. When this happens constantly, it is no wonder adrenal glands can start to feel just as fatigued as you are.
How the Adrenal Glands Work
When you feel stressed, the adrenal glands are then forced to excrete cortisol, a steroidal hormone that will protect the body from inflammation that is created with stress. Over time, the constant excretion of cortisol begins to fatigue the adrenal glands. Plus, due to the fact that the adrenal glands produce reserve stores of sex hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, fatigued adrenal glands may cause the body to steal the materials needed to make these sex hormones and convert them into more cortisol. Why does the body do this? Because the body can continue to live with hormone deficiencies, but it could die from the internal inflammation produced by stress.
Other Stressors that Can Affect Adrenals
Day to day stress is not the only thing that can cause adrenal fatigue. Other stressors may include:
Food toxins
Caffeine
Mental stress
Financial stress
Smoking
Allergies
No exercise
Overexerting exercise
Fear
Environmental toxins
Excessive sugar
Flour products
Prescription drugs
There are several other stressors that can contribute to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, but knowing these and becoming more aware of the stress you have in day to day life can help you take control of your health.
The good news is that if you believe you have Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, there is something that can be done to bring your adrenals back to normal. Herbs and supplements are ideal when treating adrenal glands and once your adrenal glands are back to an optimum state, you can stop taking the herbs and supplements given that you have made lifestyle changes to handle the factors contributing to the condition. Other options that can also help recover adrenal glands are Phospholipid Exchange Therapy and IV infusions of vitamins to help fight the stress.
