The Adrenal Glands- Small but Mighty

The adrenal glands are two small triangle organs that sit just above the kidneys. They really don't get nearly enough recognition or credit for the amount of work they do and the amount of sanity they can provide us with. These two small organs are responsible for producing cortisol (our major stress hormone), estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and epinephrine. They also play a role in regulating blood pressure. So when these bad boys are tired or out of sorts, you better believe you are going to start feeling pretty under the weather.  I see it in practice almost daily. Patients come in feeling tired, depressed, anxious, sore and usually once we treat and support the adrenal glands all of their symptoms improve and eventually disappear.  How do they get tired? Well, think of the adrenals like your gas tank in your car. You fill up the tank and you start driving. You just keep on driving and driving and eventually you end up on empty. The same things happen to our adrenal glands. We utilize them day after day to deal with stress after stress and eventually they just get tired and start to slow down their production and output of these critical hormones. When their production starts to slow down our ability to deal with stress becomes impaired. We begin over- reacting to certain situations, we feel irritable and on edge. We feel like we hit a brick a wall around 2pm, followed by a feeling of exhaustion by 8-9pm.  Then around 11pm get a second wind that keeps us from being able to fall asleep as anxious thoughts race around our heads. Below are some of the most common and less common symptoms that could be your body trying to tell you your adrenals are in need of some TLC.   


Here are the most common Adrenal Fatigue symptoms:
    •    Difficulty getting up in the morning
    •    Inability to handle stress
    •    Regular and unexplained fatigue
    •    Cravings for salty foods
    •    Mild depression
    •    Insomnia
    •    Overuse of stimulants like caffeine
    •    A weak immune system

Less common symptoms
There are a large number of other complaints that are associated with Adrenal Fatigue. Many of these are linked directly to one of the more common complaints listed above. Depending on which stage of Adrenal Fatigue you have reached, you may be experiencing a handful or a large number of these symptoms.
    •    Asthma, allergies or respiratory complaints
    •    Dark circles under the eyes
    •    Dizziness
    •    Dry skin
    •    Extreme tiredness an hour after exercise
    •    Frequent urination
    •    Joint pain
    •    Lines in your fingertips
    •    Loss of muscle tone
    •    Low blood pressure
    •    Low blood sugar
    •    Low sex drive
    •    Lower back pain
    •    Numbness in your fingers / Poor circulation
    •    Weight gain
https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/adrenal-fatigue-symptoms/
If the symptoms listed above seems like a description of yourself, you may be heading toward or in a state of adrenal fatigue. There are several naturopathic treatments that are very effective at treating adrenal fatigue including supplements, diet, exercise, stress reduction and acupuncture. To get a treatment plan specific for your needs book an appointment today and get started on your journey to healing. 


Dr. Truglia, Naturopathic Doctor
Stoney Creek Natural Wellness Center
50 King St. W, Stoney Creek, ON
905-906-9097
stoneycreekwellness.ca