The adrenal glands are walnut sized glands that sit on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands primarily produce three main hormones, glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids and adrenaline. Glucocorticoids help the body convert food into energy. Minerlocorticoids help keep your blood pressure in the normal range. Adrenaline is in charge of the blood flow to your heart, muscles and brain. Because they manufacture these three hormones, your adrenal glands are responsible for maintaining metabolism, managing blood sugar levels, regulating inflammation in the body, balancing the body's salt and water, maintaining pregnancy, producing sex hormones and controlling the body's response to stress. Eighty percent (80%) of Americans, at one point in their lifetime, suffer from a condition called adrenal fatigue. One of the main functions of the adrenal gland is its ability to help the body cope with stress. Conversely, too much stress can cause the adrenal gland to break down and suffer fatigue. The most common factors that "stress out" the adrenal glands are anger, fear, anxiety, guilt, depression and other negative emotions, overwork, excessive exercise, sleep deprivation, shift work, surgery, trauma or injury, chronic inflammation, infection, illness or pain, temperature extremes, toxic exposure, nutritional deficiencies and/or severe allergies. When the adrenal glands become depleted, hormone production levels decrease. This decrease then can lead to many different conditions, which affect the body of each individual in different ways. Some of the most common symptoms and signs of adrenal fatigue include: fatigue and weakness, especially in the morning and afternoon; suppressed immune system function; increased allergic reaction; muscle and bone loss and muscular weakness; depression; cravings for foods high in salt, sugar or fat; hormonal imbalance; skin problems; autoimmune disorders; increased PMS or menopausal symptoms; low sex drive; lightheadedness;
subluxation (spinal dysfunction); decreased ability to handle stress; trouble waking up in the morning, despite a full night’s sleep and, lastly, poor memory. Detection and diagnosis of adrenal fatigue is fairly simple. There is an inexpensive test that you can purchase online and perform at home, called a salivary cortisol test. This test is more accurate than the blood test called ACTH, which most medical doctors prescribe. The ACTH test only recognizes extreme underproduction and over production of adrenal gland hormones, while the salivary cortisol test recognizes more particular hormone production. If you do suffer from adrenal fatigue, it can take your body 6-24 months (depending on severity) to right itself when you take the proper steps to restore adrenal function. These steps include listening to your body and resting when you feel tired, sleeping-in when needed, exercising regularly (but not extremely), eating a healthy whole-foods diet, avoiding stimulants such as coffee and soda, maintaining a properly functioning nervous system with chiropractic and, most importantly, maintaining proper blood sugar levels. You can achieve regular blood sugar levels by eating wholesome, nutritionally dense, small meals at consistent intervals throughout the day. The adrenal glands are extremely important to your health and well being. By taking the steps needed to improve their performance, you can eliminate and prevent many illnesses.
