Adrenal Fatigue & Cortisol
Stress is all around us in many different forms. The effects of stressors over time will add up and take a toll on our adrenal glands. Adrenal fatigue can be the result creating a multitude of symptoms, while also affecting our ability to recover from physical illness and mental or emotional stress.
In 1998, Dr James L Wilson proposed the condition called “adrenal fatigue”. He suggested that overstimulation with long term stress could negatively impact the adrenal gland function. This leads to the erratic release of cortisol levels throughout the day and ultimately can lead to very low cortisol levels.
Diagnosing & Symptoms
Diagnosing this condition can be very difficult because symptoms overlap with other conditions including thyroid or hormone unbalance. Another problem with trying to diagnose adrenal fatigue is that many medical professionals do not consider this to be a true medical condition.
Serum test results can many times fall into what is considered “normal.” Saliva or urine testing are the most accurate ways of checking cortisol levels. Urine testing can show cortisol metabolites which will tell a better story of what is going on behind the scenes.
Symptoms Include:
Fatigue
Weight gain
Sweet and salty cravings
Lack of motivation
Anxiety
Skin conditions
Brain fog
Hair loss
Interrupted sleep cycle
Weakened stress response
Insulin resistance
Lightheadedness
Decreased sex drive
Moodiness and irritability
Depression
Muscle loss and aching
Low blood pressure
As mentioned above, many symptoms overlap with other conditions. Hormone and thyroid imbalance can contribute to physical insult of the adrenals.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, high cortisol levels can also create symptoms and allowing high cortisol for an extended time will then lead to adrenal fatigue.
Symptoms of high cortisol:
Irritability
Tired but wired feeling
Weight gain-waist
High blood pressure
Decreased sex drive
Memory loss
Depression
Some symptoms of high and low cortisol are the same because our body out of balance just does not feel good! Finding out what is going on is so important so that the issues can be addressed and fixed.
Testing is the next step to find the answers. ZRT lab offers a combination test kit that will check hormone levels, cortisol levels and thyroid levels. Our pharmacist can help you determine if this test is the one for you.
