Adrenal fatigue refers to a collection of signs and symptoms that result when the adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. It is not a recognized medical diagnosis, but some healthcare providers believe it is a real condition.
The adrenal glands are two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys. They produce hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, that help regulate the body's response to stress as well as blood pressure, heart rate, and other important functions.
With adrenal fatigue, it is thought that chronic stress leads to overworked adrenal glands. Over time, the adrenals become less effective at managing high levels of cortisol.
Common signs and symptoms linked with adrenal fatigue include:
Some alternative medicine providers diagnose adrenal fatigue when blood tests show low cortisol levels. However, standard blood and urine tests used to diagnose adrenal insufficiency may still fall within the normal range with adrenal fatigue.
How do you treat adrenal fatigue?
Treatments focus on reducing stress levels to give overtaxed glands a chance to recover. Strategies may include relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga, getting good sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising moderately, and minimizing exposures to toxins. Supplements are often recommended too.
What causes adrenal fatigue?
Proponents believe factors like chronic stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, blood sugar imbalances, infections, and hormone dysregulation can strain the adrenals over time, leading to adrenal fatigue. Traumatic events in life may also contribute.
However, given the lack of an agreed upon medical definition, determining exact causes is difficult. More research is still needed.
Can adrenal fatigue be cured?
Some complementary medicine experts argue that ignoring signs of adrenal weakness can eventually lead to full adrenal failure. Supporting healthy adrenal function may help prevent this.
Lifestyle changes are considered key to recovering from adrenal fatigue. But since there are no standard diagnostic criteria, it's hard to gauge the effectiveness of treatments or state definitively whether someone has fully "cured" their adrenal fatigue. This continues to be an area of debate.
How is adrenal fatigue diagnosed?
There are no standard diagnostic guidelines, so some providers diagnose adrenal fatigue based on presenting symptoms alone. Others measure cortisol levels throughout the day looking for patterns linked to impaired adrenal function. Saliva testing rather than bloodwork may be preferred for getting snapshots of how cortisol levels fluctuate.