18 Overlooked Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue......

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ASTHMA, BRONCHITIS or CHRONIC COUGH: Any person with lung problems, especially

asthma and bronchitis should be checked for poor adrenal function. The lungs

cannot respond appropriately to stress, allergens etc because of lack of

cortisol. Asthma is often considered an emotional disease because stress can

trigger an attack. Fix the adrenals so the body can respond normally to stress

and the asthma will disappear.

•ALLERGIES: Most allergies involve an inflammatory process. As the adrenal

function decreases, allergies worsen. Generally, if the adrenal glands were

functioning properly, the body would not respond to the allergen. This same

anti-inflammatory effect is important in asthma also. As the adrenal glands

heal, allergies are markedly reduced.

•RECURRENT INFECTIONS: Severe and/or recurrent infections (especially

respiratory) often indicate adrenal problems. The more severe, the more

frequently it occurs or the longer it lasts, the more likely adrenal fatigue is

involved in the infection.

•MUSCLE WEAKNESS AND BACK PAIN: Dr. Goodheart identified five skeletal muscles

which can indicate adrenal function. These are 1) sartorius, 2) gracilis, 3)

posterior tibialis, 4) gastrocnemius, and 5) soleus. When the adrenal glands are

malfunctioning, there will be weakness in one or more of these muscles. The

sartorius and gracilis attach on the pelvis. Weakness in these muscles can cause

the sacro-iliac joint to subluxate posteriorally (toward the back) leading to

low back pain. In persons with adrenal fatigue, low back pain is frequently

caused by instability of the pelvis rather than an actual back problem. These

same two muscles also attach to the knee and help provide support. Weakness will

cause knee pain, weakness and instability of the joint. Any person with knee

problems should be checked for adrenal fatigue. The other 3 muscles mentioned

stabilize the feet and ankles. Weakness of any of these muscles leads to

complaints of tired, aching feet, weak ankles or aching calves. The symptoms

related to the muscle weakness will improve when the adrenal glands are treated.

•SLEEP DISTURBANCES: Cortisol production follows a curve from highest levels

around 8am, dropping throughout the day until the lowest levels are reached

about 11pm. In early stages of adrenal fatigue the body compensates with high

night time cortisol. In this case the person finds it difficult to relax from

the stress of the day and has trouble going to sleep. High night-time cortisol

results in reduced REM sleep which is neither restful nor restorative. This can

lead to depression and reduced energy levels the next day. In later stages of

adrenal fatigue, the body may produce adrenaline ( " fight or flight " hormone) in

an attempt to compensate for low cortisol. This too will result in insomnia.

•DIZZINESS (POSTURAL HYPOTENSION): When a person stands from a sitting or lying

position, the systolic blood pressure usually rises about 10 points as blood

vessels in the lower body constrict to force blood to the heart, lungs and

brain. This is a result of the action of epinephrine on the blood vessels. In

people with adrenal fatigue, the blood vessels are unable to respond to the

release of epinephrine because of lack of cortisol, so blood pools in the

abdomen and pelvis and blood pressure drops. This systolic drop ranges from 10

to 40 points and is present in over 90% of those with hypoadrenia. Dizziness is

usually present on standing; however, in some people it is present

intermittently or constantly throughout the day as even resting blood pressure

is low. Paradoxically, in order to prevent pooling of blood in the abdomen and

lower extremities, the body may keep blood pressure extremely elevated. Pressure

will still drop when the person stands but only to around 150. Remember, it may

have been 180 or higher before standing. Treating the adrenals will lower blood

pressure whereas anti-hypertensives and diuretics will make the adrenal problems

worse in many cases.

•INFLAMMATION: Cortisol and other glucocorticoids produced by the adrenal glands

are the body's own anti-inflammatory hormones. People who have responded to

injections of corticosteroids into joints or to taking them orally are usually

those whose adrenal glands produce insufficient amounts of these hormones. Any

person who responds to corticosteroids should be checked for adrenal fatigue.

•HYPOGLYCEMIA: As adrenal fatigue progresses, blood glucose levels will tend to

fall too low. The body responds to hypoglycemia by causing the person to crave

anything that will rapidly raise blood sugar levels, such as a soda, candy bar,

a cup of coffee or even cigarettes. Often adrenal fatigue leads to the abuse of

alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs because of the need to " fix " recurrent

hypoglycemia. Unfortunately, the rapid rise in blood glucose provided by the

" fix " only serves to start the whole cycle over.

•HEADACHES: This is caused again by blood pooling in the abdomen and pelvis

leading to inadequate blood supply to the head.

•BEHAVIOR AND MEMORY PROBLEMS: Cortisol even regulates the electrical activity

of neurons in the brain and thus influences behavior, mood and memory. Behavior

changes frequently occur in both excess and deficient cortisol levels. Sleep

disorders for example, are common with both high and low cortisol. Symptoms more

closely related to adrenal fatigue involve decreased tolerance (quick to anger),

decreased clarity of thought, poor memory and memory retrieval.

•SALT CRAVING: The adrenal glands produce many more hormones than just

glucocorticoids. One very important hormone is aldosterone, a mineralocorticoid.

Aldosterone regulates fluid and electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium and

magnesium) in the blood, between and in the cells of the body. As adrenal

fatigue progresses, the production of aldosterone lessens. This causes

" salt-wasting " . As the salt is excreted by the kidneys, water follows leading to

electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Those with adrenal fatigue should always

add salt (preferably sea salt with its trace minerals) to their water. Soft

drinks and electrolyte drinks like Gatorade are high in potassium and low in

sodium, the opposite of what someone with low cortisol needs. Commercial

electrolyte drinks are designed for those who produce high cortisol when

exercising, not for someone who produces little or no extra cortisol during

exercise. You need to add ¼ to 1 teaspoon of salt to a glass of water or eat

something salty to maintain fluid/electrolyte balance.

•EXCESSIVE THIRST AND URINATION: A person with low aldosterone may also urinate

15 to 20 times a day and drink excessive quantities of water. Unless salt is

added to the water, the fluid/electrolyte balance in the body is further

disrupted.

•SWELLING: As the body tries to keep the ratio of electrolytes and fluid

balanced, fluid may pour into the tissues and cause swelling. Most doctors will

only see the symptom and not the cause and prescribe a diuretic which further

compounds the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance and making the patient

worse.

•HEMORRHOIDS: Hemorrhoids are basically varicose veins of the rectum and are

caused by blood pooling in the abdomen and pelvis. When a person presents with

hemorrhoids, it is usually do to adrenal fatigue, but can be caused by liver

congestion. Once again, listening to the heart can help determine the cause. If

the loud second sound is over the pulmonic valve, it is indicative of adrenal

problems, while a loud 2nd sound over the tricuspid valve is indicative of liver

congestion.

•VARICOSE VEINS: Varicose veins of the lower extremities result from the same

pooling of blood in the abdomen and pelvis that causes hemorrhoids.

•INDIGESTION: The same sluggish circulation in the abdomen can cause symptoms of

indigestion and poor absorption of nutrients.

•HYPERPIGMENTATION: Although more often seen in actual 's disease,

hyperpigmentation is occasionally seen in adrenal fatigue. This increased

pigmentation of the skin may show up as " bronzing " somewhere on the body or as

unusual brown patches.

•HEART SOUNDS: The heart normally makes a " lub-dub sound, with the second sound

being much quieter than the first sound. In a person with hypoadrenia, the

second sound will be equal or louder than the first sound over the pulmonic

valve. When the body is stressed, it produces epinephrine which will cause

vasoconstriction throughout most of the body, including the lungs. This

vasoconstriction decreases the production of mucous in the airways. At the same

time, epinephrine will relax the bronchi (bronchodilation) allowing more air to

reach the lungs. In those with adrenal fatigue, the body cannot respond to the

epinephrine because of lack of cortisol so they experience bronchoconstriction

instead, leading to symptoms of asthma. The bronchoconstriction, along with

vasodilation and swelling of the mucous membranes create a back pressure in

pulmonary circulation (pulmonary hypertension) that causes the pulmonary valve

to slam shut, hence the accentuated second sound over the pulmonic valve. Lung

diseases such as tuberculosis or tumors can also cause this loud 2nd sound.

The adrenal glands are very complex parts of the endocrine system producing

glucocorticoids (cortisol is the most important), mineralocorticoids

(aldosterone), epinephrine, norepinephrine and even sex hormones. Adrenal

fatigue affects every part of the body and every aspect of life. If you are

experiencing the symptoms described above it is imperative you find a

practitioner and get tested and treated. It may be helpful to print this out and

take it to your practitioner. Saliva cortisol testing usually includes the sex

hormones too and can be ordered from several on-line sites without a doctor's

order. If you do it this way though, testing will not be covered by insurance.

Saliva testing is the most accurate test because it shows the rhythm of cortisol

production and because it shows how much cortisol is present that the body can

actually use. Blood tests only show bound cortisol which gives no indication if

that cortisol is actually available to enter the tissues. Many people test

" normal " on blood cortisol yet very low on saliva.

Sources:

http://tuberose.com/Adrenal_Glands.html

Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome by Dr.

http://www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_d...