Tired of Being Tired?
Spring is here and the yard is beckoning, the kids are restless and you want to get outside and enjoy the end of winter. And yet you still feel like you just want to pull up the covers and hibernate until the next snow fall! Are you waking up tired and experiencing regular mid-afternoon crashes? Are you heavily reliant on coffee to keep you going? Are you so exhausted that sleep is irregular and anxiety quickly ensues?
All of this may be due in part to fatigued adrenal glands!
The adrenal glands release important hormones that regulate a lot of major pathways in the body. The main hormone secreted is cortisol and it helps the body with it’s “flight or fight” response to physical and emotional stresses.
- Cortisol regulates the inflammatory pathways and decreases pain
- Cortisol balances blood sugar
- Cortisol is a regulatory factor in the sleep-wake cycle
The adrenal gland also releases other steroidal hormones that help regulate blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and male and female hormones. The adrenal gland is also the home of adrenalin and noradrenalin, which are responsible for up regulating the nervous system to fight or flight from stressful situations. Adrenalin increases our heart rate and blood sugar, dilates our lungs to take in more air and our eyes to see better to run from or attack the predator.
Today the predator is more commonly stress from work, the person who just cut you off, bad news, television, caffeine, and inflammatory conditions. The body is reacting to stress multiple times daily instead of occasionally. The result is adrenal exhaustion.
Typical Symptoms of Adrenal Exhaustion
- Insomnia
- Need more than normal sleep
- Nightmares
- Chronic infections
- Fatigue
- Low blood pressure
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Menopausal symptoms: hot flashes and night sweats
- Crave salt or sweets
- Poor digestion
- Increased allergies
- Thyroid issues
- Blood sugar imbalances
Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? If you are wondering if your adrenals are the root cause of your symptoms contact Dr. Entner to get more individualized testing and information. Don’t let yourself hibernate this spring!