Adrenal (Adrenal Gland) Insufficiency

To receive an Addison's disease diagnosis, your adrenal glands must have lost 90% of their function, but you can have adrenal problems without this diagnosis. The main role of your adrenal glands is to produce and regulate the stress hormone cortisol. Your adrenal glands also produce the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, and the neurotransmitters adrenaline (epinephrine), norepinephrine, and dopamine. These hormones and neurotransmitters regulate your metabolism, which in turn allows you to communicate with other organs such as your brain, kidneys, and reproductive organs. However, chronic stress can suppress your adrenal glands, leading to insufficient production of essential hormones.

Causes of Stress:

• Lack of sleep
• Bad eating habits (processed, junk food)
• Stimulants (caffeine, sugar)
• Hard work schedule
• Emotional trauma (unhealthy relationships, death of a loved one)
• Overtraining (marathon, training without rest)
• Lack of fun and excitement

We live in a very stressful world. We work 80 hours a week, sacrifice sleep, drink two cups of coffee to stay awake during the day, consume sugary foods for more energy, and these habits affect us emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. When you engage in stressful activities, your body believes it needs a surge of energy to survive and goes into fight-or-flight mode. The primary stress hormone in your body is cortisol. Because its function is to give you a burst of energy, cortisol raises your blood sugar, suppresses your immune system to conserve energy, and begins breaking down your protein and carbohydrate stores. Over time, high levels of cortisol can lead to insulin resistance, weaken your immune system, and ultimately cause muscle wasting if not properly addressed.

Symptoms of Adrenal Insufficiency:

• Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
• Body and muscle aches
• Fatigue (difficulty getting out of bed in the morning)
• Hypotension
• Cravings for salt and sugar.
• Shaking or dizziness after skipping a meal
• Dizziness while standing
• fatigue and tension
• Sleeping disorder
• Low libido
• Infertility
• Thyroid imbalances
• Hair loss
• Blurred vision
• Severe allergies

Adrenal and Thyroid Relationship

To summarize what we've already explained, the adrenal glands, like the thyroid, produce hormones that significantly affect your metabolism. Chronic stress overworks your adrenals for extended periods, tiring them and leading to adrenal insufficiency. A sudden, rapid drop in the surge of stress hormones damages your thyroid. This slows down thyroid production and reduces your ability to activate thyroid hormones, leading to the appearance of hypothyroid symptoms.

This also increases resistance to thyroid hormones. In response to stress, inflammatory immune cells called cytokines are released, leading to desensitization of thyroid receptors to thyroid hormones. This means that even if you take thyroid medication and your thyroid hormone levels appear normal, you may still experience symptoms of an underactive thyroid.

At that time, when your body is in stress mode, your immune system is suppressed so that your body can fully focus on the stress, because stress has the potential to cause inflammation. This causes your immune system to slow down in order to prevent chronic inflammation. When your immune system is under stress, you become more susceptible to viral infections, some of which can trigger autoimmune thyroid disease.

For more information on the role of the adrenal glands on thyroid health, visit Thyroid Link.The Thyroid ConnectionYou can find it in the book.

How is adrenal insufficiency tested?

Because we live in a toxic and high-stress world, I believe many of my patients have some degree of adrenal insufficiency. To diagnose adrenal insufficiency, I listen to their symptoms and their lifestyles.

Functional Medicine Adrenal Stress Profile

In my clinic, I use a saliva test from the BioHealth Lab to measure stress hormone levels at four different points throughout the day. You can request your own adrenal profile from the lab, and your life coach can review your results and work with you on diet, lifestyle, and supplement changes for your adrenal health.

Myers Adrenal Insufficiency Test

If you cannot use a saliva test and do not require formal testing, there is a checklist for basic symptoms in the PDF below. This will give you an idea of ​​the level of adrenal insufficiency you have.

PDF version

How is adrenal insufficiency treated?

Create a routine.

It's important to remember that the underlying cause of this condition isn't your adrenal glands. They've simply been caught in a crossfire. The best way to treat adrenal insufficiency is to get to the root of the problem: stress. We recommend that you consider the things that cause you stress in your daily life and work towards regaining your health. If you have adrenal insufficiency, the most important thing you can do is establish a routine. Below are some suggestions that may be helpful in establishing a routine:

• Go to bed at the same time every night (preferably before 10:00 PM) and get 8 hours of sleep.
• Learn to say no when you reach the limit.
• Do relaxing things every day (warm baths, walks in the park, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, etc.).
• Avoid overexertion. If you feel tired after your workout, you may want to reduce your exercise intensity.
• Have a protein-rich breakfast before 10 am.
• Consume fruit with a source of protein (such as peanut butter or nut butter).
• Alcohol, sugar, gluten, and dairy products.
• Consider supplements (adaptogenic herbs, B vitamins).

My Favorite Stress Relief Methods

There are various ways you can use to reduce stress. The Thyroid Connection In my book, I delve deeply into some of the methods I've found most effective, but these are some of my favorites:

• HeartMath Internal Balance Practice
• Stress Relief – Flotation Tanks

Floating tanks provide a light and quiet environment with a shallow pool of water containing approximately 1000 lbs of dissolved Epsom salt. The high concentration of Epsom salt allows you to glide effortlessly, and the water around you is the same temperature as your skin, so you can't feel it. The effect is a completely dark, silent, and weightless flotation that lowers your cortisol levels, relieves muscle aches, and allows you to effortlessly pass through any stimulation for 60-90 minutes.

• Visual-Auditory Suggestion

I use audiovisual suggestion, which allows me to find and enjoy deep relaxation! This technique, which uses sounds in conjunction with visual patterns, relaxes you in a hypnotic way. Audiovisual entertainment provides mental strength and has positive effects on issues such as athletic performance, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and mood. I highly recommend trying this suggestion.

• Infrared Sauna Therapy

Spending time in an infrared sauna has many health benefits, such as stress relief and detoxification. I personally have one at home and it feels like I'm being treated with natural hot springs in my own home.

Useful Supplements

• Adaptogenic herbs help the body adapt to and cope with stress. This is the treatment I'm using to support my adrenal gland, so we can work together to find the root cause of my adrenal insufficiency.
• Vitamin B complex is also ideal for adrenal support. B vitamins are critical for chemical processes in the adrenal glands.
• Additionally, for adrenal support, you can also take omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and magnesium.

If you are concerned about your adrenal health or want further assistance in treating adrenal fatigue, I strongly recommend that you look for a medical center specializing in this area.

Restore Thyroid Function and Get Your Health Back

This article was written by Dr. Amy Myesr. https://www.amymyersmd.com/ This text has been translated from an article published on the website. Habit Gıda AŞ bears no responsibility for the content of this article. This article is for informational purposes only, has been translated from English to Turkish, and does not contain any health advice. Habit Gıda AŞ cannot be held responsible for any health problems that may arise in readers as a result of this article. Readers should not take any action based on the content of this article without consulting their doctor regarding their health condition. You should consult your doctor about all matters related to your health.

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