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5 Ways to Support Your Adrenal Glands
Adrenal fatigue isn’t an actual medical diagnosis. Instead, it’s a list of symptoms that fly below the radar of blood tests or other diagnostics. Thought to be the weaker cousin of adrenal insufficiency, it can be a frustrating interruption to your daily life.
Contact us at The Well for Health in Mooresville, North Carolina, if you’ve been experiencing unexplained fatigue, weight loss, or other symptoms that seriously affect your day-to-day responsibilities.
You can be proactive about your adrenal health, too. This month, we look at the glands themselves as well as five ways you can support adrenal performance through self-care.
The role of the adrenal glands
Adrenal glands are hormone-manufacturing factories that regulate blood pressure, metabolism, and your body’s response to stress. The gland’s outer layer controls the amount of salt in your body, levels of androgens and estrogen, as well as cortisol, perhaps the best-known of the stress hormones.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline originate in the inner layer of the glands. These hormones slow nonessential body functions when you’re faced with fight-or-flight danger situations. Expect changes like boosted blood pressure and heart rate, higher blood sugar levels, and wider air passages in the lungs.
The symptoms of adrenal fatigue
You may have underperforming adrenal glands if you recognize one or more of these symptoms and there’s no obvious reason for them:
- Extreme tiredness and fatigue
- Weight loss or gain
- Sleep disruptions
- Brain fog
- Low appetite
- Low blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Body aches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Body hair loss
- Cravings for salt and/or sugar
- Hyperpigmentation of the skin
- Mood changes, including depression
Current blood tests aren’t sensitive enough to identify adrenal fatigue, so when you’re feeling these symptoms, you may be able to turn things around with a few small lifestyle changes.
How to support your adrenal glands
Our team led by Diane Parks, NP, and Boyd Parks, MD, specializes in treating hormonal imbalances. Whenever possible, we like to address conditions through natural means such as your diet, which can often improve your overall well-being.
Our top five strategies for adrenal health are:
Eliminating stimulants
The immediate boost you may get from caffeine or sugar is often welcome in the moment. But it may be masking your ability to accurately recognize your own fatigue levels.
Immunity boosts
Vitamin C is a well-known immune system booster, an excellent option to counteract the immune-suppressing effects of cortisol and other stress hormones.
Optimized diet
Like caffeine and sugar, other foods you eat can harm your body. We offer counseling to help you eliminate foods that boost cortisol and add to your stress burden.
Prioritize sleep
A consistent sleep schedule is one of your best defenses against adrenal fatigue. Sleep is a time for recovery and natural system detoxing of both body and mind.
Stress reduction
Addressing other sources of stress in your life minimizes the impact of adrenal fatigue by lowering your body’s burden. Look to meditation, exercise, and yoga.
Contact us at The Well for Health when you can’t shake the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Request a phone consultation online or call our office directly to book your appointment today.
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