Facts About Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
Adrenal fatigue treatment consists of lifestyle changes to make the body healthier and stress free. Adrenal fatigue is noted as a series of non-specific, persistent and hard to explain symptoms of fatigue, but it is not a medical diagnosis. There is still a large debate over whether adrenal fatigue is a real condition or simply the body’s reaction to high levels of stress and other underlying conditions. It is believed that the adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys and are responsible for releasing over 50 useful hormones into the body, begin to release less amounts of certain hormones after the body is exposed to large amounts of the stress. This adrenal insufficiency is what is believed to cause the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue, mostly feeling tired and rundown.
Stress is extremely negative for the human body. Serious stressors such as family deaths, work, travel, health issues, raising children or relationship difficulties can take a large toll of the body and how it reacts to different stimuli. The body’s main defense against stressors is cortisol, which is released by the adrenal glands. It is thought that as the body reacts to prolonged periods of stress, the adrenal glands begin producing less cortisol, which affects the body through fatigue. This chronic fatigue is often reported with many other non-specific effects such as body aches, a run-down feeling, extreme tiredness in the mornings, lightheadedness, low blood pressure and a loss of body hair. This sort of problem can affect the patients work and home life and may lead to depression or other medical problems.
Based on the difficulty in explaining the cause of these types of symptoms and whether or not your doctor feels adrenal fatigue is a medical condition, it is very hard to diagnose the problem. A doctor may use blood tests and hormone level tests to check if there is an insufficiency of the adrenal glands as well as a thyroid test to rule out the possibility of hypothyroidism. Either way the best way to obtain adrenal fatigue treatment is to lower stress levels, eat a healthier diet and increase exercise through some basic lifestyle changes.
Decreasing stress is probably the most important tool for adrenal fatigue treatment. Relaxation techniques, stretching, meditation and yoga are all beneficial to helping people learn to lessen and cope with stress. Lower stress levels also mean better sleep and a higher immunity, which will help improve overall health. Even laughter can help to increase the parasympathetic supply to the adrenal glands. Exercise the next important step to reduce fatigue and low energy. Start small and work up. Exercise is important to maintain both healthy brain functions and hormone levels. This will also increase immunity and happiness levels too.
A specific diet plan can also help treat the symptoms that may be caused by adrenal insufficiency. An overall balanced diet rich in whole grains, large amounts of vegetables, protein and natural oils from nuts and seeds is important. It is best to eat smaller and more regular meals and to eat meals at a slower pace than normal. Limit the amount of caffeine or other stimulants ingested as these often have the opposite effect on the body. People with adrenal insufficiency should eat a diet with few carbohydrates and more protein. It may also be beneficial to mix about 1/8th of teaspoon of sea salt into a glass of water once a day.
The benefits of a healthy diet, exercise and a low stress lifestyle will be seen not only as an overall healthier body, but as a treatment for adrenal fatigue. By altering the stress levels and mental well being of the patient, the adrenal glands will begin to produce the proper mix of hormones and the fatigue symptoms will disappear.