Some of the most common signs of adrenal insufficiency are fatigue, insomnia, weight gain and depression.
Does that sound like you? If so, your underlying problem may be related too much stress and adrenal fatigue.
The effects of adrenal gland dysfunction symptoms can be profound and they include:
• Fatigue, low energy and weakness,
• Suppression of the immune system,
• Muscle and bone loss,
• Moodiness, anxiety or depression,
• Hormonal imbalance,
• Skin problems,
• Autoimmune disorders and many other symptoms.
Adrenal insufficiency or adrenal gland dysfunction symptoms can also cause conditions such as fibromyalgia, hair loss, premature hormone imbalance, weight gain, arthritis and many other unpleasant conditions.
What does adrenal dysfunction mean? Your adrenal glands secrete three important hormones – epinephrine, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone.
These hormones help you deal with the stresses and problems of modern life.
• Epinephrine – is also called the “fight-or-flight” hormone. This hormone is responsible for making your heart pound when scared or anxious, makes your blood rush to your heart and muscles, gives you more tolerance if pain increases, makes your pupils widen and it quickens your brain function.
The problem is – this hormone gets overused and overdrawn in most industrialized countries and in the business world.
Epinephrine, when stimulated, will make you feel very alert, focused and energetic… It sounds good right? The bad news is that epinephrine should only be used during emergencies.
People that use the hormone “epinephrine” quite frequently, eventually will become imbalanced and the adrenal medulla will become exhausted.
• Cortisol – gives you more appetite, moderates inflammation and immune responses throughout the body and increases your energy levels.
Today you can find synthetic versions of cortisol that are prescribed to give the person more energy, but the side effects of adrenal support occur when your cortisol levels become too high or too low.
Side effects of synthetic adrenal support that you may experience:
• Osteoporosis,
• Kidney damage,
• Weight gain,
• Fluid retention,
• Adrenal insufficiency and high blood sugar,
• Muscle wasting,
• Yeast infections,
• Allergies,
• Vulnerability to viruses, parasites and bacteria.
#1- In the early stages of adrenal insufficiency and stress, cortisol levels will be too high during the day and continue rising in the evening. This is called “hyperadrenia”.
#2- In the middle stages, cortisol may rise and fall unevenly as the body struggles to balance itself despite the disruptions of caffeine, carbs and other factors, but levels are not normal and are typically too high at night.
#3- In advanced stages, when the adrenals are exhausted from overwork, cortisol will never reach normal levels (“hypoadrenia”).
Conventional medicine may detect only the extremes of these conditions, when damage to the adrenals has already occurred (Cushings Disease or Addisons Disease).
Within those extremes, you can feel miserable and still be told your adrenals are normal. But by responding to early-stage symptoms, we can reverse the developing dysfunction.
• Debydroepiandrosterone or DHEA – DHEA is important to protein building, resistance to disease and repair. DHEA is also the precursor (necessary for the production) to androgens, testosterone and estrogens.
DHEA levels decline dramatically as we age, and a decline in libido is often due to falling testosterone levels and declining DHEA levels.
Most women that experience adrenal gland dysfunction symptoms will experience more difficult perimenopause symptoms. Perimenopause occurs when many women begin experiencing hormonal imbalance symptoms to the ending of their monthly periods.
What can I do about adrenal gland dysfunction symptoms? Use Natural Progesterone Cream Supplementation!
According to Dr. John R. Lee and Dr Christiane Northrup, when natural progesterone production drops in the body, the normal conversion by the adrenal glands cannot happen. This immediately causes salt buildup, fluid retention and hypoglycemia.
Then the adrenals begin to produce their steroids at some lower level, and the body is now set for long term disease, since the body no longer works as well with these lower levels of steroids.
The good news is that adrenal insufficiency and low progesterone can be treated effectively by responding to the early-stage symptoms.
When healthy, your adrenals can instantly increase your heart rate and blood pressure, release your energy stores for immediate use, slow your digestion and other secondary functions and sharpen your senses.
Now – you’re probably aware our society has more stress than at any time in human history!
Your over-burdened adrenal glands can rob your body of the building blocks it uses to make estrogen and testosterone, which are vital to desire and sexual response, for example. This is called adrenal insufficiency.
Daily problems can be a challenge to the mind and body, creating a demand on the adrenal glands. This list of challenges is endless:
• Lack of quality sleep,
• A demanding boss, stressful job,
• The threat of losing your job,
• Financial pressures, lost your job,
• Personality conflicts,
• Yo-yo dieting,
• Relationship problems, abusive relationships,
• Death or illness of a loved one,
• Skipping meals, drastic diets
• Reliance on stimulants like caffeine and carbs,
• Digestive problems,
• Over-exercise,
• Illness or infection,
• Unresolved emotional issues from our past or present.
Not only do the adrenals work overtime to deal with the stress, environmental pollutants and poor nutrition, they also try with little success to make up for declining progesterone levels – until they literally tire themselves out.
That’s adrenal exhaustion. Most of the progesterone produced by the adrenal glands is converted into the corticosteroid hormones.
If you have adrenal insufficiency, you should consider making several other changes.
• 1- Reduce stress in your life and try to take more time for yourself and daily exercise. Enjoy an active life by improving your energy levels and sense of wellbeing.
• 2- Get sufficient sleep, 7-9 hours a night. Lack of sleep can be caused by stress, hormonal imbalance, by physical, emotional and psychological factors.
• 3- Eat a balanced diet of healthy whole foods, fresh fruits, organic vegetables, nuts, legumes and plenty of fiber.
• 4- Take high-quality nutritional supplements to improve energy levels, reduce allergies, improve sleep, have a healthier heart plus circulatory system and lessen your hormone imbalance symptoms.
• 5- Add essential fatty acids from a quality fish oil to your diet to improve your circulation, heart disease, depression, arthritis and many other health issues…(see the information)…
• 6- Since sugar stimulates the adrenals, one of the first steps you can take to support yourself is to eliminate sugar and alcohol from your diet and help eliminate adrenal insufficiency and high blood sugar.
• 7- We recommend the use of natural progesterone cream for adrenal insufficiency, premenopause, menopause (natural or through surgery) to reduce any symptoms of hormone imbalance and adrenal dysfunction.
You can take an online hormone health test here.
If you are having symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, consider taking this women’s hormone profile health test. It is free and can provide you with a better understanding of your own health and possible related symptoms. Take the women’s health hormone test here.
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