Adrenal Dysfunction… An American Epidemic
By Shannon Homkovics, ND I
t’s 8:00 at night on a Monday evening and you’re just getting home from picking up the children at soccer practice. Long be- fore this though you woke up at 5:30 am. You were able to get the kids ready for school, cleaned up the house, worked all day, managed to hit the gym afterwards, quickly rushed to the grocery store to buy dinner, and THEN went to pick up the kids. Not to mention all the other events that had occurred within your day like dealing with your overbearing boss, or how you came home from work to a burst pipe and your basement was fl ooded. You get the picture. People today are overworked, burnt out, and stressed to the max. We go, go, go, all day long! In America, this is consid- ered the norm. What does this mean for our health though?
Adrenal Gland Physiology This is where our adrenal glands come into place. The ad-
renals are two triangular endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidney, one on each side. The medulla, which is the center of the gland, is responsible for secreting epinephrine and norepineph- rine. The cortex, the outer part of the gland, produces hormones such as cortisone and aldosterone which are responsible for regu- lating fl uid balance in the body and adjusting the stress response, also known as our “fi ght or fl ight”. Cortisol plays a major role in our sleep cycle, immune system function, and metabolic metabo- lism, while aldosterone is needed to regulate our blood pressure. The adrenals also secrete a small amount of sex hormones includ- ing estrogen and testosterone. Knowing all of this, it is easy to see just how important these tiny but powerful glands really are!
Adrenal Gland Disorders There are several well-known disorders associated with the adrenal glands including Cushing’s syndrome, Addison’s disease,
congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and adrenal cancer. This article is going to focus on another modern epidemic, something known as “adrenal fatigue.” This is simply when our adrenals are maxed at, and functioning at a suboptimal level. Think about it this way, our ancestors were hard-wired to use their fi ght or fl ight, aka their stress response, hunting for food or running from a bear. Today we’re running on fi ght or fl ight all day long! In today’s society, we don’t stop from the minute we wake up, until the second we go to bed. Between managing our careers, raising a family, maintaining a social life, exercising, appointments, errands, and the list goes on, we don’t even stop to breathe sometimes. On top of this we’re waking up super early and going to bed extremely late. Our sleep cycles are a mess. Add to the mix environmental toxins, infl amma- tory diets, the pharmaceuticals we’re prescribed, and we have a recipe for disaster.
Adrenal fatigue can come about in many ways. The most com- mon causes include chronic stress, childhood trauma, physical ill- ness, and over-training at the gym. At fi rst you can still thrive in the stress, but as time goes on eventually you feel “unwell” until the day you completely crash and burn. Many people are living in this “crash and burn” state today. Depending on where you are on the stress curve will determine which treatments you need. You may have excess cortisol being secreted on a daily basis, meaning your adrenals are still functioning, but working overtime, OR, on the other hand you may be in that “crash and burn” state also known as adrenal fatigue. The goal in this state would be to increase cortisol levels by treating the adrenals so that they can once again function properly.
Adrenal dysfunction correlates with many different areas in
the body. For instance, I believe many of women’s menopausal symptoms stem from poor adrenal function. Once women stop ovulating and producing the high levels of sex hormones at the level of the ovary, it is the adrenal’s job to take over and produce hormones like estrogen. However, women today no longer even have this powerful gland to help them transition into menopause because it’s been burnt out from years of chronic stress and poor lifestyle habits. This exacerbates a woman’s symptoms of hot fl ashes, thinning skin, weight gain, and so forth. Basically, by treat- ing the adrenal’s we can help balance a woman’s hormones and make menopause much easier. This is just one example of how by treating the adrenal glands, we can bring another part of the body back into balance.
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Adrenal Gland Testing and Treatment The fi rst step to understanding exactly where you are on the stress scale is to run labs that are able to measure how well your adrenals are functioning. These tests include the salivary cortisol x 4 and the AM cortisol, serum. Your doctor can explain these labs in offi ce. Also, since the thyroid and adre- nals run hand in hand, thyroid labs should be done as well. The symptoms you’re experiencing will also help determine if you’re experiencing a cortisol excess or adrenal fatigue.
People experiencing high stress will be se- creting high cortisol into their system. Symptoms will include insomnia, anxiety, irritability, sugar cravings, weakened immunity, abdominal weight gain, and much more. People who have entered
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