Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal Fatigue in Women
Many women experience unpleasant symptoms such as decreased energy, depression, low mood, reduced sex drive, and heightened stress sensitivity, often without realizing there is help available. These symptoms can be misdiagnosed or treated without addressing the root issue: adrenal fatigue.
The adrenal glands, small glands located on top of the kidneys, play a crucial role in hormone production.
They are primarily responsible for producing cortisol, the “stress hormone,” which governs the body’s “fight or flight” response. When faced with stress, the adrenal glands release extra cortisol to prepare the body for action by narrowing blood vessels, increasing heart rate, and heightening sensory awareness. In addition to cortisol, the adrenal glands produce smaller amounts of other hormones, including pregnenolone, adrenaline, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, and estrogen.
While this acute stress response is vital for handling immediate dangers, many women today face chronic, low-grade stress, leading to continuous high cortisol production. Over time, the body can become resistant to elevated cortisol levels, prompting the adrenal glands to work harder to produce even more. Eventually, this chronic demand can exhaust the adrenal glands, compromising their ability to produce adequate levels of any adrenal hormones.
The result is widespread hormone imbalance and a range of distressing symptoms.
In addition to stress, adrenal fatigue is often linked to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, nutritional deficiencies, and insufficient sleep. Recognizing and addressing adrenal fatigue can be crucial for restoring hormonal balance and overall well-being.
Treating Adrenal Fatigue in Women
Healthy adrenal function is closely related to lifestyle, so the first step to treating adrenal fatigue is to make lifestyle changes to support your adrenal glands. Certain foods and supplements rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, B5, B6, B12, and magnesium have been shown to support healthy adrenal function. Low-impact exercise such as walking, biking, yoga, and swimming can also help reduce stress and restore adrenal function. You should, however, avoid high-impact activities like cross fit training, which can add to the burden on the adrenal glands. Finally, you should actively pursue stress-reduction techniques including mindfulness exercises, meditation, and relaxation exercises.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is also highly recommended in many cases to help correct hormone imbalance. Because the adrenal glands are intimately involved in producing a wide range of steroid hormones, adrenal exhaustion can result in deficiencies or imbalance in hormones including estrogen, DHEA, and progesterone. A Genemedics physician can help identify these imbalances and develop a personalized plan to correct for any underlying hormone imbalance while simultaneously addressing the adrenal exhaustion.
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