My research for my article is still ongoing, but I had brought this up some weeks ago and was met with some resistance regarding this topic. But here is just one more thing I came across from a new article on Poliquins site to help back my claims........
An Interview with Dr James Wilson
What is Adrenal Fatigue?
Adrenal Fatigue is any decrease (but not failure) in the ability of the adrenal glands to carry out their normal functions. The chief symptom of Adrenal Fatigue is, indeed, fatigue, but is accompanied by many other signs and symptoms. Adrenal Fatigue occurs when stress from any source (physical, emotional, mental, or environmental) exceeds, either cumulatively or in intensity, the body's capacity to adjust appropriately to the demands placed upon it by the stress. When this happens, the adrenals become fatigued and are unable to continue responding adequately to further stress.
Who is most likely to suffer from Adrenal Fatigue?
Anyone, from birth to old age and from any race or culture, can suffer from Adrenal Fatigue. People vary greatly in their ability to respond to and withstand stress. However, those suffering from serious or repeated injury, illness, infectious disease, allergies, inadequate nutrition, intense social, emotional or physical pressures, or who are exposed to a toxic environment are most likely to suffer from Adrenal Fatigue. Unfortunately many of these factors are common in modern life.
What causes Adrenal Fatigue?
There are multitudes of individual causes of Adrenal Fatigue but they usually stem from one of four common sources that overwhelm the body.
1. disease states such as severe or recurrent pneumonia, bronchitis or flu, cancer, AIDS, auto-immune and other illnesses.
2. physical stress such as surgery, poor nutrition, addiction, injury, exhaustion, etc.
3. emotional stress, usually arising from relationship, work or psychological origins
4. continual and / or severe environmental stress from toxic chemicals and pollutants in the air, water, clothing or food
Where are the adrenal glands?
The adrenal glands are two small glands, each about the size of a large grape, which sits over the kidneys. They are located in the back, near the bottom of the ribs on each side of the spine.
Is Adrenal Fatigue common?
Yes, Adrenal Fatigue is a common disorder, estimated to affect many millions of people in the United States and other industrialized nations. This is why I call it the disease of the 21st century.
Once someone has Adrenal Fatigue, can he or she ever recover?
Yes, with proper treatment, most people can fully recover from Adrenal Fatigue. People in different situations, can take longer to recover from illnesses.
Does Adrenal Fatigue affect the thyroid gland?
Yes. Approximately 80% of the people suffering from Adrenal Fatigue also suffer some form of decreased thyroid function. Often people who are shown to be low thyroid and are unresponsive to thyroid therapy are suffering from adrenal fatigue as well. For these people to get well, the adrenals must be supported in addition to the thyroid.
Is one more prone to infections if he / she has adrenal fatigue?
Yes. Adrenal fatigue often goes hand in hand with decreased immune function, which makes someone more prone to illnesses. There is a special association between adrenal fatigue and respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Does anyone ever go through life without adrenal fatigue or adrenal fatigue problems?
Yes. Many people go through life with only a temporary decrease in adrenal function after an infection, the death of a loved one, loss of a job or other severe stress, but their adrenals are able to bounce back and they recover. Someone with adrenal fatigue is overwhelmed and is very slow to recover from these same kinds of problems.
If someone suddenly experiences an increase in the amount of allergies, could it be due to Adrenal Fatigue?
It has been long observed that people suffering from Adrenal Fatigue have a definite increase in allergic responses or become allergic to things that previously did not bother them. This is because cortisol, the major adrenal hormone, is the most powerful anti-inflammatory substance in the body. When the adrenals fatigue, cortisol levels drop and make it more likely that the body will have allergic (inflammatory) reactions and that these reactions will be more severe.
What is the difference between Adrenal Fatigue and hypoadrenia?
Hypoadrenia, as it is used in a medical sense, refers to adrenal failure or the extremely low adrenal function which is called Addison's disease. Although hypoadrenia, in actuality, occurs in a spectrum ranging from almost normal to Addison's, only the most extreme low end is recognized and called hypoadrenia in medicine. The less severe forms of hypoadrenia are referred to as adrenal fatigue.
Are there laboratory tests that detect Adrenal Fatigue?
Yes. The most accurate and valuable laboratory test for detecting Adrenal Fatigue is the Saliva Adrenal Hormone Test. This simple and relatively inexpensive test has been unavailable until recently but offers several advantages over blood or urine tests.
1. It is the most accurate test for determining actual tissue levels of the adrenal hormones and associated steroids.
2. It is the most useful test for adrenal and other steroid hormone detection.
3. It is non-invasive, that is, no skin has to be broken or any other part of the body invaded to perform this test.
4. This means there is no fainting, no chance of infection, no accidental spread of disease and no necessity to face the dreaded needle in order to get an accurate sample.
5. It is not necessary to go to a laboratory to take this test.
6. It can be taken at home or anywhere for that matter.
7. Consequently, it is much easier to get patient compliance to take this test.
8. This test can be repeated as often as necessary without compromising patient safety or test accuracy.
9. Compared to other hormone tests, it is much less expensive.
10. Because it is non-invasive and portable, this test can be done several times during the same day if necessary.
There are other blood and urinary laboratory tests that can also be useful, but these require more interpretation beyond just a simple reading of the results. For example, blood cortisol levels can be useful when taken at specific times of the day if the doctor recognizes that the so-called "normal range" is much too broad and uses more exact criteria to determine adrenal dysfunction. The 24-hour urinary cortisol and the 24-hour ketosteroid and hydroxysteroid tests are also useful in some situations, but again they need special interpretation by physicians trained to recognize and treat Adrenal Fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue can also cause changes in blood sodium and potassium levels as well as in lymphocyte counts. Knowing these electrolyte and white blood cell values are of value, especially when used in conjunction with other test results.
Remember however, that laboratory results should always be used in conjunction with other factors such as signs and symptoms, presentation, history and clinical indications as a part of the total picture comprising the person. We are looking at a person, not a test result. The test results are only one piece of the picture.
Click here to read Part II
