Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue: Could You Be Suffering from This Syndrome?

Do you feel constantly exhausted throughout the day, despite having slept soundly the night before?

Do you often feel anxious and irritable?

Do you find yourself having little patience and an extremely short fuse?

Perhaps you've written these symptoms off as a normal part of aging, or the result of stress at work.

However, it's possible that you're suffering from adrenal fatigue, a condition that results when your adrenal glands do not function optimally. This impacts the body's ability to respond to stress appropriately.

In the most severe cases, adrenal fatigue can result in the inability to get out of bed for more than a few hours a day.

Could you be suffering from adrenal fatigue?

Learn about the common -but often undiagnosed- syndrome below:

What Causes Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is often associated with prolonged or intense stress. An intensely stressful experience, such as the death of a loved one, can result in adrenal fatigue. So can chronic stress, such as a high-pressure job or a dysfunctional relationship.

When the adrenal glands have to maintain high cortisol levels in response to stress, they eventually become impaired in their ability to function optimally.

While stress is the most common cause of adrenal fatigue, there are other potential culprits as well. These include: lack of sleep, chronic disease, and poor diet.

What Are the Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue manifests itself in many different ways. The most common symptoms include:

Persistent Fatigue

Everyone feels exhausted from time to time. However, chronic exhaustion -even if you get a reasonable amount of sleep at night- is associated with adrenal fatigue.

Feeling Wired

Sufferers of adrenal fatigue often feel both tired and wired. They're exhausted, but feel unable to stop moving.

Food Cravings

Craving your favorite ice cream from time to time is normal. Constantly craving sugary or salty foods- in a manner that feels almost uncontrollable- is a symptom of adrenal fatigue.

Poor Coping Abilities

Feeling overwhelmed and unable to manage your emotions is often associated with adrenal fatigue. Additionally, persistent anxiety and irritability on a day-to-day basis is also related to adrenal fatigue.

Impaired Thinking

If you feel like your thoughts are constantly racing, you could have adrenal fatigue. Feeling like you're unable to focus and your thoughts are fuzzy are also symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

Adrenal insufficiency can be difficult to diagnose. Your doctor will begin by asking about your medical history and about any obvious symptoms you are experiencing. Tests that measure the levels of cortisol and aldosterone are used to make a definite diagnosis.