Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome And Causes

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome happens when our body facing a failure of the adrenal glands to produce hormones and chemical messengers efficiently. The two important hormones that produced by adrenal glands, namely adrenaline and cortisol help to handle stress, control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other central metabolic functions. When the adrenals are healthy, they can instantly increase our heart rate and blood pressure, release our energy stores for immediate use, slow our digestion and other secondary functions, and sharpen our senses.

Adrenaline is manufactured in the interior of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal medulla. Cortisol, the other chemical from the adrenal gland, is made in the exterior portion of the gland, called the adrenal cortex. The cortex also secretes androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Cortisol, commonly called hydrocortisone, is the most abundant and also one of the most important hormones of many adrenal cortex hormones. Cortisol helps you handle longer-term stress situations.

In the heightened nervous state of adrenal burnout, the body overproduces adrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones. Constant stress and poor nutrition can weaken the adrenal glands. Eventually, this causes the adrenal glands, the front line in the stress reaction, to show wear and tear and become depleted, there come adrenal fatigue syndrome. This frequently leads to impairment in the thyroid gland, which can cause a further decline in energy level and mood and is one of the reasons why many people have thyroid glands that don’t work well.

When stress continues over prolonged periods of time, the adrenal glands can deplete the body’s hormonal and energy reserves, and the glands may either shrink in size or hypertrophy (enlarge). The overproduction of adrenal hormones caused by prolonged stress can weaken the immune system and inhibit the production of white blood cells that protect the body against foreign invaders (in particular lymphocytes and lymph node function).

Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome can disrupt the body’s blood sugar metabolism, causing weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of being run down. It can also interfere with normal sleep rhythms and produce a wakeful, unrelaxing sleep state, making a person feel worn out even after a full night’s sleep.

Below are the common causes of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome:

• Anger

• Fear / Worry /Anxiety

• Depression

• Guilt

• Overwork/ physical or mental strain

• Excessive exercise

• Sleep deprivation

• Light-cycle disruption

• Going to sleep late

• Surgery

• Trauma/injury

• Chronic inflammation

• Chronic infection

• Chronic pain

• Temperature extremes

• Toxic exposure

• Malabsorption

• Maldigestion

• Chronic illness

• Chronic-severe allergies

• Hypogycemia

• Nutritional deficiencies