Adrenal Fatigue and Its Symptoms
You have probably heard of the term “adrenal fatigue” more than once. Or maybe you’re in such a condition right now? However, “adrenal Fatigue” does exist and it’s becoming more and more common.
Adrenal fatigue is caused by the dysfunction of adrenal glands which are placed on top of our kidneys. They are super tiny yet super essential organs for our body. Adrenal glands produce many hormones which are vital for our wellness and overall living. The hormones include cortisol, aldosterone, DHEA, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. Each of these hormones has different functions in our bodies. When these hormones aren’t produced sufficiently, a person experiences the adrenal fatigue diagnosis which, we may say, is a bunch of conditions. If you often experience at least one of these symptoms, make sure to know more about testing and further treatment. You should evidently get yourself tested and find out which hormones your body is lacking. The symptoms include low blood sugar, constant fatigue, insomnia or sleep disorders, metabolic disorders, always craving for salt and sugar, nervousness, unexplained body aches, etc.
Treatment
Adrenal Fatigue is a condition that requires a full and sustained cure and unfortunately can’t be treated by a single drug. Besides the medication and supplements, the patient will need a targeted and nutritional diet. The diet includes primarily these:
- Low-sugar foods (avoid white sugar and artificial sweeteners),
- More healthy fats (avocado, olive and fish oil)
- Whole grains instead of refined grains
- Eggs, nuts and legumes for protein
- More green vegetables
- Less caffeine
- More water
Low Blood Sugar and Why It Is an Adrenal Fatigue Symptom
Blood sugar or glucose is the energy source for our body. It derives from the food we eat and mainly from carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, fruit, vegetables, rice, etc.). When the body doesn’t receive enough glucose, its blood sugar drops down and the person may have low blood sugar, lower than the normal level.
Usually people “wait” for symptoms and then go to the doctor, but there are cases when an illness comes without symptoms. And low blood sugar is one of them: It can occur both with symptoms and without. It’s really essential to get medical testing and find out whether you have low blood sugar or not. By the way, it’s more dangerous when there are no symptoms and a person may have severe complications up to coma.
Low Blood Sugar or Hypoglycemia is more common among diabetic people. This is because of too much insulin medication and not enough meals throughout the day.
Apart from diabetes, there can be other causes of low blood sugar such as severe illnesses, alcohol abuse, chronic hormonal disbalance and also adrenal glands dysfunction which in turn causes adrenal fatigue. How does it work and how are they connected? Let’s see.
As we have mentioned above, one of the essential hormones that adrenal glands produce is Cortisol, the hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar and the use of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, managing stress and controlling the sleep-wake rhythm. When we experience stress, adrenal glands produce cortisol to provide us with energy (blood sugar/ glucose) and “strength” to endure that situation. The stress can be either emotional or physical, for example sleeping disorders, which are most common nowadays. And because of those late-night periods of sleep, which are huge stress for our bodies, and to which we do not pay attention, our adrenal glands work even harder to produce much more cortisol, as they “think” we are in constant trouble and need more energy boost to handle the stress. This overworking condition causes adrenal glands’ dysfunction and as a result, the person experiences adrenal fatigue. That is, adrenal glands are overburdened and don’t work properly. A person feels constant tiredness, lack of energy which is in fact because of low blood sugar.
In such cases, adrenal health support is needed. The doctors usually prescribe hormones like Hydrocortisone to replace the lack of Cortisol. They may also add some relevant supplements to the patient’s diet according to their symptoms. The supplements may be stress and anxiety-relieving and sleep control. But they surely must be natural and eco-products without any artificial coloring and preservatives.
Low Blood Sugar Common Symptoms and Treatment
After we have learned the causes of low blood sugar, let’s see what are the common symptoms and how to treat hypoglycemia effectively.
The symptoms of low blood sugar or Hypoglycemia are too many. They are but are not limited to dizziness, paleness, fatigue, constant headaches, vomiting, nausea, difficulty waking up, lack of energy, anxiety, trembling hands or body, blurred vision, and to severe cases- fainting, memory loss and even coma.
When low blood sugar is found in a patient, they should always be attentive to their meals and eating times. They should carry candies or chocolate with them everywhere in case they feel dizziness or weakness. Just at the time when you think your blood sugar may have gone down, take sweet natural juice, candies, or your tablets of glucose. As for regular treatment, doctors usually prescribe a balanced and healthy diet with lots of vegetables and fruits. This diet will provide your organism with the necessary nutrients to help you regain energy.
Low blood sugar condition needs regular attention. That is, you have to:
- Always track your sugar level to know when it goes down/up and why
- Follow the nutritional diet your doctor has prescribed
- Avoid food with high calories
- Avoid skipping meals
- Drink plenty of water (according to your weight)
- Have physical activity but not so tense
Overall, all these tips (besides tracking sugar level or taking special medicines) will help you throughout your whole life. The thing is to have a healthy diet, avoid too much-saturated fats, sugar, etc and instead eat fresh vegetables, fruits and healthy fats. This will prevent not only adrenal fatigue but will also provide you with better wellness and life.
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