Adrenaline can come in handy during critical moments because it increases your tolerance to pain, enabling you to continue escaping or confronting any threat that you may encounter. However, if your body is producing too much of this stress hormone for an extended period of time, it could lead to harmful and lasting effects on your overall health. This may eventually cause your adrenal glands to stop functioning properly, leading to a debilitating condition commonly referred to as “adrenal fatigue.”
If you are not sure whether you are just having a more difficult week or may be experiencing the symptoms of adrenal fatigue, then read on to see if any of the common signs coincide with what you are currently feeling.
Some Common Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue
- Intense Cravings for Salty Food
Whenever you’re stressed out, your adrenal glands also produce another hormone called aldosterone, which is responsible for maintaining the levels of potassium, sodium, and the fluid volumes in your body, with a particular focus on blood and interstitial fluid. When your adrenal glands malfunction and do not produce enough aldosterone, the amount of sodium in your body decreases because it is passed through your kidneys and removed via urination.
- Increased Reliance on Coffee and Sugar
If you have been downing several cups of coffee in one day while also binging on a lot of sweet treats, your body might be trying to make up for the loss of energy by relying on caffeine and sugar to get you through the day. Though this may give you short bursts of energy, you will eventually experience two crashes in one: a caffeine crash and a sugar crash. Neither are particularly pleasant, and will actually leave you feeling even more tired than before you even consumed these snacks and beverages.
- Compromised Memory and Concentration
Have you been spacing out more than usual? Worse, you may even start to forget about certain information that you were certain you filed away in your long-term memory. It might almost feel like there is some sort of fog or haze making your memories hard to access. Because of this, you might struggle to finish your tasks on time because it takes you longer to process what you are trying to accomplish.
What Can You Do About Adrenal Fatigue?
Though easier said than done, one of the most important things you can do to reverse adrenal fatigue is to remove constant sources of stress from your life. Another thing you can do is to start doing more exercise, as studies have shown that it can reduce your stress hormone production. In addition, it also prompts your body to start releasing more happy hormones such as endorphins, which can help you feel less pain and enhance your mood. Finally, if none of these options seem to work for you, you may consult your primary physician for a prescription medication or perhaps look into bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in order to properly treat adrenal fatigue.
