Most people have depleted energy reserves and describe their day as running on empty. Having enough energy to lead a happy and productive life is missing for most people.
Every physical action and both emotional and mental actions expend energy. When energy is used, it must be replenished. The stress of living drains our energy resources.
Our hormonal system is highly involved in coping with the stress of life. The HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) is a coordinated messaging service that activates and dictates all the actions all the parts of the body must take when they are exposed to stressful situations. This system cannot stay turned-on because if it does then harm can actually arise from its actions.
The HPA Axis Cannot Stay Turned-On or It Will Actually Cause Damage
The adrenal gland releases two different hormones from two different parts of the gland. When the gland is activated it's supposed to release just the right amount of hormone to complete the job and then it should return to its resting state. Often, however, the gland does not have enough strength to release enough hormone to get the job done.
The adrenal cortex secretes cortisol and this hormone is slower acting than adrenaline as each serves a different role. Adrenaline activates the body for immediate action and cortisol is used to deal with on-going stressful situations such as illness and emotional trauma. Scientific studies that have tried to define the causes of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and other chronic fatigue states indicate that the HPA axis is involved and may be too weak to get the job done.
It was in the late 1800's when the idea that a deficient release of cortisol may cause fatigue states. But, today there is little consensus among medical researchers about whether or not cortisol is involved in fatigue.
The primary reason for the lack of a definitive answer about adrenal fatigue syndrome is due to the wide range of variations in measuring adrenal output. People with adrenal insufficiency are at risk for adrenal crisis, usually caused by a major stress, such as severe infection or surgery.
When Medicine Cannot Provide a Diagnosis this is Called Sub-Clinical Fatigue
Few people are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), but a large percent of the population suffers from undiagnosable chronic and extreme fatigue. Because medical work-ups cannot find any specific dysfunction, this does not make the fatigue any less weakening to the individual.
Recent studies have shown that adrenal gland size is reduced by 50% in those diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Other investigations confirm the involvement of the HPA axis and that the part of the axis that is most involved is a reduced output of cortisol by the adrenal gland.
This surely suggests that adrenal fatigue syndrome due to shrinking of the adrenal gland is likely involved in all chronic and extreme fatigue individuals. Unfortunately, these studies have not led to the development of any effective medical therapies.
Since medical therapies don't exist, some have suggested to explore the treatments offered by alternative medicine. These include exercise, diet, vitamin/mineral complexes, and the use of specific herbal formulations and nutritional supplementation plans, such as the use of DHEA. The results suggest that adrenal fatigue syndrome can be dealt with effectively through alternatives to modern medicine.
Many people are now turning to alternative medicine because their doctors offer no effective strategies for dealing with fatigue and other medical conditions for which there are no effective treatments. This movement alarms medical doctors who make all kinds or outrageous statements about how dangerous it is to use "unproven" therapies. Patients often undertake alternative treatments and never inform their doctors.
Every physical action and both emotional and mental actions expend energy. When energy is used, it must be replenished. The stress of living drains our energy resources.
Our hormonal system is highly involved in coping with the stress of life. The HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) is a coordinated messaging service that activates and dictates all the actions all the parts of the body must take when they are exposed to stressful situations. This system cannot stay turned-on because if it does then harm can actually arise from its actions.
The HPA Axis Cannot Stay Turned-On or It Will Actually Cause Damage
The adrenal gland releases two different hormones from two different parts of the gland. When the gland is activated it's supposed to release just the right amount of hormone to complete the job and then it should return to its resting state. Often, however, the gland does not have enough strength to release enough hormone to get the job done.
The adrenal cortex secretes cortisol and this hormone is slower acting than adrenaline as each serves a different role. Adrenaline activates the body for immediate action and cortisol is used to deal with on-going stressful situations such as illness and emotional trauma. Scientific studies that have tried to define the causes of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and other chronic fatigue states indicate that the HPA axis is involved and may be too weak to get the job done.
It was in the late 1800's when the idea that a deficient release of cortisol may cause fatigue states. But, today there is little consensus among medical researchers about whether or not cortisol is involved in fatigue.
The primary reason for the lack of a definitive answer about adrenal fatigue syndrome is due to the wide range of variations in measuring adrenal output. People with adrenal insufficiency are at risk for adrenal crisis, usually caused by a major stress, such as severe infection or surgery.
When Medicine Cannot Provide a Diagnosis this is Called Sub-Clinical Fatigue
Few people are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), but a large percent of the population suffers from undiagnosable chronic and extreme fatigue. Because medical work-ups cannot find any specific dysfunction, this does not make the fatigue any less weakening to the individual.
Recent studies have shown that adrenal gland size is reduced by 50% in those diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Other investigations confirm the involvement of the HPA axis and that the part of the axis that is most involved is a reduced output of cortisol by the adrenal gland.
This surely suggests that adrenal fatigue syndrome due to shrinking of the adrenal gland is likely involved in all chronic and extreme fatigue individuals. Unfortunately, these studies have not led to the development of any effective medical therapies.
Since medical therapies don't exist, some have suggested to explore the treatments offered by alternative medicine. These include exercise, diet, vitamin/mineral complexes, and the use of specific herbal formulations and nutritional supplementation plans, such as the use of DHEA. The results suggest that adrenal fatigue syndrome can be dealt with effectively through alternatives to modern medicine.
Many people are now turning to alternative medicine because their doctors offer no effective strategies for dealing with fatigue and other medical conditions for which there are no effective treatments. This movement alarms medical doctors who make all kinds or outrageous statements about how dangerous it is to use "unproven" therapies. Patients often undertake alternative treatments and never inform their doctors.
About the Author:
And to help you get started on a plan to battle against adrenal fatigue syndrome, Dr. Gregory Ellis teaches you all aspects of what you need to do. Visit his website for more information about what is possible outside of the medical community. Dr. Gregory Ellis, the Tired-Rescue Expert. Sign up for his FREE 5-Part ECourse on fatigue.
