Too stressed to deal with your stress? A large stressful event or constant long-term stress can wreak havoc on your body. People say that stress is the silent killer and they’re not far off. It all starts in your adrenal glands.
Your adrenal glands are to small glands located just above your kidneys. Their primary role is to produce and secrete hormones and cortisol. Cortisol is overproduced in times of stress. This is so your body can cope with the physical stress that your mental stress is causing. Your adrenal glands pump out cortisol constantly, and eventually become exhausted. They are too tired to produce any more cortisol, much less any of your other hormones. This is when your body starts to feel run down. Symptoms can include
- Difficulty waking up in the morning
- Constant fatigue
- Craving salty foods
- Lack of energy
- Lack of motivation
- Difficulty handling stress
- Prolonged time to heal from sickness
- Depression, feeling less enjoyment from life
- Mental fog, memory loss
The first step in the treatment for adrenal fatigue includes lifestyle changes, relaxation techniques and learning to turn lemons into lemonade. Additionally, vitamins and supplements will help to nourish your adrenal glands back to health. This can be a long and slow process, but it is necessary to get your cortisol and hormone levels back in balance. During this time we can also incorporate hormone replacement therapy to supplement the hormones that your adrenal glands are having difficulty producing during this time.
Our pharmacists are extremely knowledgeable and well-versed in helping patients achieve adrenal health. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.