Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms and Treatment
Adrenal fatigue can make it really difficult to go on from day to day. Fortunately, in most cases, adrenal fatigue is treatable, and today we will be looking at a number of adrenal fatigue symptoms and treatments.
What is Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome?
AFS is a very common medical condition that will likely impact almost everyone at some point in their lives. AFS arises when the adrenal glands have become overworked, and become fatigued. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones are responsible for our “fight or flight” stress response, which is triggered by stress. The modern way of living exposes us to a wide range of stress factors from our living conditions to our diets. As a result, adrenal fatigue is a very common disorder.
What are the Symptoms of AFS?
Like all illnesses, AFS comes with symptoms. The most common symptom of AFS is chronic fatigue. But other symptoms include:
- Depression
- Mood Swings
- Memory Complications
- Lethargy
- Compromised Immune System
- Difficulties Waking Up
- Weight Gain
- Unexplained Hair Loss
Just to name a few. With all of those symptoms, AFS can be an intimidating illness. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to begin the treatment of adrenal fatigue.
Medical Treatment for Adrenal Fatigue
As with all other medical conditions, medical treatment for adrenal fatigue starts with consulting a healthcare physician. Though many people perform treatment for adrenal fatigue on themselves, the safest and most effective way is to work with a healthcare professional. Unlike many other diseases, the treatment of adrenal fatigue is usually natural. In most circumstances, medical treatment of adrenal fatigue doesn’t require pharmaceutical drugs.
How Long Does Adrenal Fatigue Treatment Take?
Adrenal fatigue treatment can take up to two years. The length of adrenal fatigue treatment varies greatly based on how long adrenal fatigue has been left unmanaged. This is why we recommend beginning treatment for adrenal fatigue as soon as possible before fatigue becomes too severe. So how long does adrenal fatigue treatment take?
- Minor adrenal fatigue treatment can take 6 – 8 months
- Moderate adrenal fatigue treatment can take 12 – 18 months
- Severe adrenal fatigue treatment can take 24 months
Steroids and Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
One common adrenal fatigue treatment is steroids known as corticosteroids. These steroids can be synthetic, but there are also several natural steroids as well. Steroids can be an effective adrenal fatigue treatment but should be a last resort. They can have a lasting impact on your body.
These hormones work by compensating for your bodies underproduction of cortisol, which is caused by adrenal fatigue. They, however, do not directly repair the root of the problem. This means that they should only be used as a supplemental treatment for adrenal fatigue. The symptoms of AFS will be largely eliminated with the use of these corticosteroids, and these steroids can provide a bit of a break on your adrenal glands. The bottom line, however, is that these steroids should only be used in limited circumstances. In most circumstances, you may want to opt for more natural adrenal fatigue treatment like dietary treatments.
Dietary Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
Fortunately, a lot of adrenal fatigue treatment relies on a diet, rather than medication. Dietary adrenal fatigue treatment starts with choosing a whole foods based diet and avoiding processed foods. Just that one simple guideline can make a big difference in not only your adrenal health but also the bodies health as a whole.
Processed foods and Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
Processed food is bad for adrenal fatigue treatment for several reasons.
Contain Synthetic Preservatives – Most processed foods contain synthetic preservatives, many of which cause hormonal disturbances in the body. These hormone imbalances cause systemic internal stress, which takes its toll on the adrenal glands, as well as other organs.
Lack Nutrients – Processed foods are often missing essential nutrients that whole foods have. These nutrients are lost through the processes used to prepare them. These processes include bleaching, overcooking, and removing parts of the plants used. These actions denature the food’s enzymes, remove most of the fiber, and cause vitamins and nutrients to be lost. Each of these factors taxes the adrenal glands more, and more, until one day they can no longer function properly.
Loaded with Sugar – Processed food is loaded with sugar. This can throw off your blood sugar and causes stress in the body. In the long term, this causes several disturbances in your body. This can cause the unnecessary production of stress hormones, wearing out the adrenal glands.
Foods for Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
Focusing on increasing your whole food intake is a major step in the right direction if you are looking for a dietary adrenal fatigue treatment. Here are a more few things to keep in mind when choosing what foods to eat.
Fresh Vegetables – Around 30-40% of your diet should come from fresh vegetables. They should be eaten raw, or lightly steamed.
Lean Protein – Another 20-30% of your diet should consist of lean best protein water.
Healthy Fats- 20-30% of your diet should be made up of healthy fats, like those in nuts and seeds.
Whole Grains, Beans, and Legumes- These can be eaten in moderation. These foods are high in phytic acid and should be soaked, sprouted or fermented before consumption.
Fruits – Fruit should be eaten in moderation. Fruit is full of healthy nutrients like vitamin c and antioxidants. However, it is also loaded with natural sugar. Eat whole fruits and avoid juices. Juice lacks fiber and can contain as much sugar as soda.
As you can see, the foods for adrenal fatigue treatment are fairly straightforward. In many ways, these guidelines are similar to the ones you may see in the Mediterranean or paleo diets.
Supplements for Adrenal Fatigue Treatment
For supplements for adrenal fatigue, treatment check this out.
Michael Lam, M.D., M.P.H., A.B.A.A.M., is a physician that specializes in nutritional and anti-aging medicine. Certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging, Dr. Lam is a pioneer in using non-toxic, natural compounds in order to promote healthy aging, and the healing of much age-related illness. Dr. Lam is particularly knowledgeable in adrenal fatigue treatment. Using diet, herbal and nutritional supplementation, enzymes, and lifestyle to rejuvenate cellular function. When implemented in a specific way, these actions work to heal a range of age-related illness from the ground up. Dr. Lam was the first to tie adrenal fatigue treatment to an overall neuroendocrine stress response. In 2001, Dr. Lam began www.DrLam.com, which has since become the world’s most comprehensive library on AFS. This site provides a free public service, through which he answers countless questions on alternative health and adrenal fatigue treatment.